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Vol.  IV.  The  Glory  of  God  is  Intelligence.  No.    3. 

IMPROVEMENT 
ERA. 

Organ  of  Young  Men^s   Mutual  Improvement  Associations. 

PUBLiISHED  BY  THE  GENERAL  BOARD. 

Joseph  F.  Smith,       j  T?^jt„ra  Heber  J.  Grant,  j  Business 

Edw.  H.  ANDERSON.  S  ^'i"""'  Thos.  HULL,  j     Managers. 

JANUARY,  1901.  ^ 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

The  Meeting  of  the  Centuries.  A  Sympo- 
sium. Dr.  J.  M.  Tanner,  Joseph  E.  Taylor,  M.  W.  Merrill,  Andrew 
Jenson,  Dr.  J.  E.  Talmage,  L.  L.  Greene  Richards,  J.  H.  Ward, 
Dr.  J.  A.  Widtsoe,  Edwin  F.  Parry,  Sophy  Valentine,  Proj. 
Mosiah  Hall,  A.  Wootton,  President  Ben  E.  Rich,  Nephi  Ander- 
son, Sara  Whalen,  Orson  F.  Whitney,  Prof.  W.  H.  Jones,  C.  A. 
Madsen,  George  M.  Cannon,  Pres.  Jos.  W.  McMurrin,  J.  M. 
Sjodahl,  Dr.  Geo.  H.  Brimhall,  Thomas  Hull.  161,  214 

The  Missionary's  Wife.    A  Poem Sarah  E.  Pearson  177 

Wolves  in  Sheep's  Clothing Sara  Whalen  179 

God  AND  Nature.    A  Poem E.M.Webb  186 

Language  Culture Attewall  Wootton  189 

The  Testimony  of  God Henry  W.  Naisbitt  192 

LiEBiG  and  La  WES — An  End  of  the  Century 

Note Dr.  John  A.  Widtsoe  196 

A  Testimony  of  God  and  the  Divinity  of 

the  Church Prof.  W.  H.  Chamberlin     203 

Some  Leading  Events  in  the  Current 
Story  of  the  World — President  Kruger 
in  France — Kruger  in  Germany — War  in 
the  Transvaal — Centennial  Celebration — 
The  Cost  of  Education Dr.  J.  M.  Tanner  206 

The  Joy  OF  A  Letter.    A  Poem 213 

Portrait  of  Governor  James  Duane  Doty 

The  Governors  of  Utah — John  W.  Dawson 

Frank  Fuller.— Ill Edward  H.  Anderson  221 

Content.    A  Sonnet Robert  Greene  225 

Editor's  Table— Was  the  Young  man  Justi- 
fied?— Answers  to  Questions — Book  Men- 
tion   226 

Notes 231 

In  Lighter  Mood 233 

Our   Work — Prospects   and    Labors    in   St. 

George  David  H.  Morris  234 

Events  OF  the  Month Thomas  Hull  236 

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i  DO  YOU  THINK  ^  oe  ^ 


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Lorenzo  Snow 

President 
George  Q.  Cannon, 

Vice-President. 
George  M.  Cannon, 

Cashier. 
Joseph  F.  Smith, 
Anthon  H.  Lund, 
Francis  M.  Lyman, 
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IMPROVEMENT   ERA. 


Vol.  IV.  JANUARY,  1901.  No  3. 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES. 


GOODNIGHT  TO  THE  REMARKABLE  NINETEENTH;  HAIL  TO 

THE  SPLENDID  MORNING  OF  THE  MYSTIC 

TWENTIETH! 


A  SYMPOSIUM. 


The  editors  of  the  Era  sent  the  following  letter  to  a  number 
of  its  contributors,  and  in  response  thereto,  we  present  our  readers 
with  an  interesting  symposium  of  thought  for  the  opening  New 
Year  and  New  Century: 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  November  27,  1900. 
Dear  Friend: 

At  the  meeting  of  the  centuries,  next  New  Year's  eve,  men  will  say 
good-night  to  the  remarkable  Nineteenth,  and  hail  the  splendid  morning 
of  the  mystic  Twentieth.  The  Era  desires  at  this  fitting  time  to  place 
before  its  readers  some  of  the  thoughts  of  its  writers  and  other  friends 
on  the  achievements,  religious,  moral  and  material,  of  the  closing  cen- 
tury; and  on  the  prospects  and  promises,  in  these  lines,  for  the  new. 

Will  you  favor  us  with  a  short  sentiment  for  this  symposium? 


162  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  great  audience  of  young  men  to  whom  you  may 
speak  through  the  Era,  we  feel  sure  that  you  will  be  led  to  present  a 
valuable  lesson  from  the  history  of  the  past,  and  to  utter  cheering  words 
of  truth,  inspiration  and  encouragement  for  the  future,  to  those  upon 
whom  will  rest  the  duty  of  beginning  the  labors  of  the  century  to  be. 

Awaiting  your  favor,  and  thanking  you  in  advance  for  the  kindness^. 
we  remain,  with  sentiments  of  esteem  and  greetings  of  the  season, 

Fraternally  yours, 

Joseph  F,  Smith, 
Edward  H.  Anderson, 

Editors. 

The  Nineteenth  Century: 

At  the  close  of  the  present  century,  the  world  may  naturally 
look  in  retrospect  upon  the  achievements  of  the  past  one  hundred 
years.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  greater  progress  has  been  made  in 
science,  art,  commerce,  inventions,  and  the  general  material  ad- 
vancement of  the  world  during  the  past  century,  than  has  been 
made  in  all  the  history  of  its  predecessors,  and  the  greater  part  of 
that  progress  has  been  made  during  the  last  twenty-five  years.  In 
great  events, the  nineteenth  century  stands  out  pre-eminently  above 
all  others.  It  is  greater  than  all  combined.  It  is  distinctly  one 
of  miracles.  Men  of  thought  cease  to  wonder  at  the  things  which 
Christ  did  simply  because  they  were  incomprehensible.  The  unex- 
pected is  constantly  happening.  We  cease  to  wonder  at  the  mar- 
velous. Transformations  are  so  complex  and  so  incomprehensible 
that  we  simply  strive  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  results.  The  pro- 
cesses we  leave  unsolved.  This  is  an  age  of  natural  miracles. 
What  has  been  accomplished  in  Japan  in  a  single  generation,  was 
believed  by  students  of  history  to  belong  to  the  impossible.  Every- 
where the  great  events  in  history  put  on  an  air  of  the  miraculous. 
Read  this  long  list  of  wars  and  revolutions,  of  explorations,  inven-- 
tions  and  other  human  achievements,  and  ask  yourselves  where,  in 
the  work  of  humanity,  a  parallel  can  be  found: 

Wars  and  Revolutions. — Battle  of  Austerlitz,  Napoleon  defeats 

Austrians  and  Russians,  1805.    Battle  of  Trafalgar,  Nelson  sinks  French 

fleet,  1805.     Moscow  burned  by  the  Russians  to  entrap  Napoleon,  1812. 

Battle  of  Waterloo,  Napoleon  vanquished,  1815.     Battle  of  Navarino 

securing  Greek  independence,  1827.   Crimean  War,  Great  Britain,  France 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  163 

and  Sardinia  against  Eussia,  1853-55.  India  Mutiny,  in  which  native 
soldiers  massacre  English  men,  women  and  children,  1857.  Franco-Aus- 
trian War,  1859,  followed  by  Garibaldi's  campaign,  unifying  Italy,  1860. 
The  Great  Civil  War  in  America,  1861-65.  Surrender  of  Lee  to  Grant 
at  Appomattox,  April  9,  1865.  Austro-Prussian  War.  Decisive  battle, 
Sadowa,  July  3,  1866.  Franco-Prussian  War,  decisive  battle,  Sedan, 
September  1,  1870;  followed  by  federation  of  German  states  in  German 
empire.  Russo-Turkish  War,  battle  of  Plevna,  December  10,  1877. 
Bombardment  of  Alexandria  by  the  British,  1882,  followed  by  the  oc- 
cupation of  Egypt.  War  between  Chinese  and  Japanese,  1894.  Americo- 
Spanish  War,  Manila,  May  1,  1898;  Santiago,  July  3,  1898.  War 
by  Great  Britain  against  South  African  Republics,  1899-1900.  France 
becomes  an  empire,  1804;  a  republic,  1848;  an  empire  again,  1842;  third 
republic,  1870.  General  outbreak  of  revolutions  throughout  Europe, 
1870.  Rome  seized  from  the  pope,  becomes  capital  of  United  Italy, 
1870. 

Explorations. — In  the  Arctic:  Expedition  of  Sir  John  Franklin, 
1845;  DeLong.  1879;  Greely,  1881;  Peary,  1892;  Nansen,  1894;  Duke  of 
the  Abruzzi  (farthest  north),  1900.  In  the  Antarctic:  Biscoe,  1831; 
Balleny,  1838;  D'Urville,  1840;  Ross,  1841;  Wilkes,  1842;  Borchgrevink, 
1898.  In  Africa:  Livingstone,  1840-73;  Stanley,  1875-87;  Speke  and 
Grant,  1863.  In  America:  John  C.  Fremont's  journey  westward  to  the 
Pacific,  1842-46. 

Invention. — First  steamboat,  the  Clermont,  made  a  voyage  from 
New  York  to  Albany,  1807;  the  first  steamboat  to  cross  the  Atlantic* 
the  Savannah,  1819.  First  railroad,  Stockton  and  Darlington,  England, 
1825;  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  fourteen  miles  long,  1830.  Lighting 
the  streets  by  gas,  first  experiment  in  London,  1807.  Electric 
light  produced  by  Edison's  application  of  sub-division,  1878.  The 
McCormick  reaper,  invented  1834.  Howe's  sewing  machine,  1846. 
The  electric  telegraph,  Sam.uel  F.  B.  Morse,  1837.  First  line  in 
the  United  States,  1844.  The  telephone  first  exhibited,  1876.  The 
phonograph,  1877-88.  Cable  laid  across  the  Atlantic,  1857;  perfected 
1866.  Electric  railroad  at  Edison's  home  at  Menlo  Park,  1880.  Pho- 
tography: first  experiments  by  Daguerre,  1829.  First  successful  por- 
traits by  Norse,  1839.  The  spectroscope  first  used,  1802;  perfected, 
1859.    Roentgen  rays  found  to  penetrate  solids,  1896. 

Miscellaneous. — Joseph  Smith,  the  prophet,  born,  1805;  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  organized,  1830.  Gold  discovered 
in  California,  1848;  in  Australia,  1851;  in  the  Transvaal,  1887;  in  the 
Klondike,  1897.    Diamond  mines  worked  in  the  Transvaal,  1870.    Open- 


164  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

ing  of  the  Mont  Cenis  Tunnel,  1871.  Last  spike  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  driven,  1869.  Trans-Sfberian  Railroad  operated,  1899.  Open- 
ing of  the  Suez  Canal,  1869.  Alaska  ceded  by  Russia  to  the  United 
States,  1867.  First  session  of  the  Parliament  of  United  Canada,  1867. 
The  Australias  under  one  government,  1900.  Maximilian  executed  in 
Mexico,  1867.  Expulsion  of  the  emperor  from  Brazil,  1889.  Assassi- 
nations: Lincoln,  1865;  Garfield,  1881;  Emperor  Alexander  II.,  1881; 
Carnot,  President  of  France,  1894;  Shah  of  Persia,  1896;  King  Humbert 
of  Italy,  1900.  Expulsion  of  Jews  from  Russia,  1882-91.  Massacre  of 
Christians  in  Armenia,  1895.  Massacre  of  missionaries  and  converts  in 
China,  1900.  Army  draft  riots  in  New  York,  1863.  Chloroform  first 
used,  1847.  Vaccination  legalized,  1803.  Pasteur  discovers  remedy  for 
hydrophobia  by  inoculation,  1884.  The  Rosetta  Stone  furnishes  key  to 
hieroglyphics,  1841. — J.  M.  Tanner. 

What  of  the  Fature— J900-J90J? 

What  is  a  century?  The  aggregate  of  one  hundred  years; 
a  periodical  space  of  time. 

We  are  about  to  cross  the  threshold  of  the  twentieth  cycle  of 
time;  reckoning  from  the  birth  of  our  Savior.  A  period  during 
which  will  occur  many  important  events  that  will  utterly  eclipse 
anything  that  has  transpired  during  the  past  nineteen  hundred 
years. 

The  wonderful  things  which  transpired  during  the  Nineteenth 
century  will  eventually  revolutionize  the  entire  earth,  and  the 
Twentieth  century  will  witness  and  record  many,  very  many  im- 
portant features  of  that  revolution. 

In  the  Nineteenth  century,  heaven  came  to  earth  and  God 
talked  with  man.  In  the  Twentieth  century  who  dare  say  that 
earth — not  in  name  only — but  in  reality  will  become  the  foot-stool 
of  him  who  created  it,  and  that  the  visits  of  heavenly  beings  shall 
be  of  frequent  occurrence  during  that  period? 

Who  will  question  the  completion  of  a  Holy  Temple  upon  the 
chosen  spot  in  Zion  in  the  West,  and  the  occupancy  of  the  lands 
adjacent  by  the  Saints  of  the  Most  High? 

Who  dare  doubt  the  return  of  Judah  to  the  land  of  their 
fathers  in  the  East,  and  the  building  of  a  sacred  edifice  there,  as 
well  as  a  city  corresponding  to  the  Jerusalem  of  old? 

Who  will  deny  that  the  remnants  of  the  land;  sunken,  de- 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  165 

graded  and  wasted  as  they  are,  shall  receive  of  heaven's  favor  and 
become  the  honored  instruments  to  help  accomplish  the  purposes 
of  our  Father? 

Would  it  be  at  all  strange  if  the  key  that  was  given  by 
Moses  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  should  be  turned  during  the  coming 
century  to  unlock  the  icy  north  and  there  should  be  revealed  and 
brought  forth  the  ten  lost  tribes  of  Israel ;  a  mighty  host  of  God's 
chosen,  who  have  been  hid  for  more  than  twenty-eight  centuries 
from  the  rest  of  mankind? 

For  come  they  will  in  the  due  time  of  the  Lord  with  their 
valuable  records  and  their  treasures  to  receive  at  the  hands  of  the 
children  of  Ephraim  the  sacred  ordinances  of  the  Gospel. 

The  sons  of  Levi  having  been  purified  shall  again  offer  ac- 
ceptable sacrifices  to  the  Most  High  in  God's  Holy  Temple. 

Will  the  Zion  above  unite  with  the  Zion  below  in  a  grand  mil- 
lennium of  peace,  and  the  worthy  dead  again  appear  on  earth 
clothed  with  the  powers  of  a  holy  resurrection? 

Will  our  beloved  and  martyred  Prophet  stand  forth  in  all  the 
dignity  and  power  of  his  holy  calling,  accompanied  with  the  heads 
of  other  dispensations,  to  counsel,  advise  and  direct  the  labors 
necessary  to  be  performed  to  secure  the  redemption  of  the  living 
and  the  dead? 

These  are  no  fancied  imaginings,  but  are  among  the  possibil- 
ities of  a  near  or  more  distant  future,  and  are  strictly  in  keeping 
with  the  declarations  of  ancient  and  modern  prophets. 

God  has  set  his  hand  to  redeem  this  earth ;  to  sanctify  it,  and 
prepare  it  to  inherit  his  glory.  It  must  be  cleansed  before  it  can 
be  redeemed. 

The  gift  of  prescience  is  scarcely  needed  to  foretell  the  mighty 
revolutions  and  overturnings  that  must  take  place  in  the  religious, 
the  social,  the  civil,  aye,  and  the  material  world  before  this  can 
be  realized. 

As  the  heavens  continue  to  reveal  the  purposes  of  the  Eter- 
nal One  to  his  chosen  servants,  so  will  science  in  a  corresponding . 
degree  continue  to  develop  and  demonstrate  the  hidden  mysteries 
of  nature,  to  the  entire  bewilderment  of  the  ordinary  intellect, 
and  man  will  stand  appalled  at  the  result  of  his  own  experiments 
and  researches. 


166  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

The  Saints  can  congratulate  the  outgoing  century  because  of 
the  choice  gifts  and  precious  treasures  that  it  has  brought  to 
them.  They  can  hail  the  incoming  century  with  unspeakable  joy 
in  anticipation  of  the  fulfillment  of  many  glorious  predictions  look- 
ing to,  and  leading  up  to,  the  redemption  and  glory  of  Zion. 

To  the  outgoing  1900  then,  we  bid  a  pleasing  farewell.  To 
the  incoming  1901,  we  say,  welcome — thrice  welcome. — Joseph  E. 
Taylor. 

Vitttte  Exalts  the  Race. 

It  may  go  without  saying  that  no  cycle  of  years  embraced  in 
any  century  since  the  first,  has  closed  with  as  bright  a  record  as 
the  one  now  completed.  With  the  evolution  of  its  years,  achieve- 
ment has  followed  achievement,  in  almost  every  realm  of  human 
activity,  with  such  astounding  rapidity  and  result  as  to  fill  us  with 
wonder  and  admiration:  indeed,  we  often  marvel  that  our  fathers 
endured  and  survived  the  rust  and  inertia  of  the  ages  they  were 
placed  in. 

The  religious  world  has  passed  through  changes  that  have 
startled  the  devout,  and  the  ideas  of  mankind  have  become  enlarged, 
enabling  many  to  discard  the  fallacies  and  narrow  views  of  the 
fathers,  fostered  through  the  centuries.  The  intolerance  ex- 
hibited by  churches  and  nations  against  any  innovation  upon  their 
cherished  ideas  and  doctrinal  views,  has  become  modified  by  the 
leaven  of  truth  that  has  obtained  by  dint  of  its  sheer  potency, 
having  fought  its  way  through  gloom  of  error  and  ignorance. 

The  introduction  of  true  religion  by  divine  appointment  has 
done  much  to  dispel  the  mists  of  darkness  resting  upon  the  world 
during  the  Nineteenth  century;  its  influence  has  been  felt  for  good 
in  the  moral  and  materialistic  methods  of  the  times.  The  glare  of 
refinement  seen  in  the  world  is  too  often  the  garnishment  of  hyp- 
ocrisy, yet  it  must  be  admitted  that  candor  has  found  a  lodge- 
m3nt  in  the  souls  of  millions,  and  by  their  fruits  they  are  known. 
Withal,  no  community  can  rise  religiously  unless  its  morals  are 
above  question. 

The  moral  atmosphere  of  the  closing  century  is  still  suscep- 
tible of  improvement,  its  purgation  will  be  effected,  let  us  hope, 
by  the  superior  forces  that  lie  undeveloped  in  the  segis  of  the 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  167 

century  now  born,  that  upon  a  basic,  purified  moral  fabric  may  be 
built  a  religious  structure  that  shall  endure  forever. 

The  material  interests  of  mankind  start  out  into  the  Twenti- 
eth century  with  an  impetus  that  has  cost  the  best  thought  of  the 
age;  the  resources  of  the  world  are  well  in  hand,  so  that,  under 
the  blessing  of  God,  the  wants  of  society  are  well-nigh  assured. 
The  facilities  that  have  been  developed  through  science  and  inven- 
tion have  lessened  the  drudgery  aad  discontent  of  the  laboring 
classes  of  the  world,  and  the  outlook  into  the  century  now  upon 
us  is  auspicious  indeed.  It  would  appear  that  all  that  is  needed  to 
bring  peace  aad  plenty  to  man  is  to  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  for  as  "virtue  exalts  a  nation"  so  it  will  save  and  exalt  the 
race. — M.  W.  Merrill. 

^'Greater  Works  than  these  shall  He  do/^ 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on  me,  the 
works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also;  and  greater  works  than  these 
shall  he  do;  because  I  go  unto  my  Father."  (John  14:  12.)  These 
were  the  words  of  the  Savior  to  his  disciples  at  the  time  that  he 
washed  their  feet,  just  before  he  was  taken  away  from  them  to  be 
crucified.  Jesus  had  done  a  great  work  in  introducing  the  plan  of 
salvation  among  the  Jews  in  Palestine;  but  his  apostles,  whom  he 
commanded  to  "teach  all  nations,"  in  a  certain  sense,  had  a  greater 
work  to  do  than  that:  they  were  to  preach  in  all  the  world;  and 
history  tells  us  how  faithful  they  were  in  keeping  the  Master's 
command. 

In  our  day,  God  has  commanded  anew  that  "this  gospel  of  the 
kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all 
nations,"  or,  as  the  revelator  says,  "to  every  nation,  and  kindred, 
and  tongue,  and  people."  In  summing  up  the  great  work  per- 
formed by  the  elders  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  during  the  Nineteenth  century,  we  can  speak  joyfully  of  a 
growth  from  a  membership  of  six  to  that  of  three  hundred  thou- 
sand, the  building  of  six  temples,  the  organization  of  about  fifty 
stakes  of  Zion  (of  w^bich  forty-two  are  in  a  thrifty  condition  at  the 
close  of  the  century)  and  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in  the  United 
States,  Great  Britain,  Scandinavia,  Germany,  Switzerland  and  a 
few  other  countries,  and  upon  a  number  of  the  islands  of  the  sea. 


168  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

But  the  workers  in  God's  cause  in  the  Twentieth  century  will  no 
doubt  be  privileged  to  do  far  greater  works  than  these.  I  fully 
expect  that  they  will  not  only  continue  to  deliver  the  heavenly 
message  in  the  few  countries  named,  but  that  they  will  preach  the 
Gospel,  as  restored  through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  to  all  other 
nations;  that  they  will  build  temples  all  over  the  western  hemi- 
sphere; thus,  they  will  see  Zion  redeemed,  and  not  only  erect  a  great 
temple  but  also  build  the  New  Jerusalem  in  Jackson  County,  Mis- 
souri, as  the  capital  city  and  the  permanent  headquarters  of  The 
Church,  and  the  kingdom  of  God;  that  they  will  rebuild  the  other 
waste  places  of  Zion  in  Missouri,  Illinois,  and  Ohio,  and  that  they 
will  organize  and  build  up  new  stakes,  until  the  whole  land  of  Zion 
(including  North  and  South  America)  shall  be  filled  with  Latter- 
day  Saints,  properly  organized  into  wards  and  branches,  stakes  and 
missions.  And  who  will  say  that  the  Twentieth  century  shall  not 
witness  the  ushering  in  of  the  glorious  Millennium,  so  long  expected, 
when  Christ  shall  reign  upon  the  earth  "as  King  of  kings  and  Lord 
of  lords?" — Andrew  Jenson. 

The  Nineteenth  and  Twentieth — The  Seed-time  and  Harvest. 

The  phenomenal  increase  of  human  knowledge,  the  miraculous 
extension  of  man's  power  over  the  elements  and  the  forces  of 
nature,  the  development  of  society  and  the  growth  of  civilization 
— all  unite  in  characterizing  the  Nineteenth  as  the  most  marvelous 
of  all  the  centuries  that  have  passed.  But  when  its  history  is  rightly 
"read,  when  its  true  relation  to  prior  and  to  later  time  is  compre- 
hended, it  will  be  known  for  an  event  greater  and  more  significant 
than  any  or  all  of  the  achievements  of  man. 

The  Nineteenth  century  is  destined  to  be  distinguished  in  his- 
tory as  marking  the  inauguration  of  the  Dispensation  of  the  Full- 
ness of  Times.  In  it  have  been  concentrated  the  developments  of 
all  preceding  ages, — both  of  man's  doings  and  of  God's  dealings  with 
the  human  family.  The  spirit  of  every  Divine  law  revealed  in 
earlier  periods  is  operative  in  this  the  last  and  greatest  dispensa- 
tion, though  the  letter  has  been  modified  to  suit  the  changing  con- 
ditions. 

The  century  just  closed  has  been  one  of  evolution  in  the  tru- 
est sense  of  the  term.    Yet  it  is  not  more  truly  an  ending,  than  a 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  169 

beginning.  Its  completion  is  but  the  close  of  the  seed-time,  of 
which  the  harvest,  is  bequeathed  to  the  new  century  just  begun.— 
J.  E.  Talmage. 

Yeats  and  Centaries. 

The  old  year  wanes.    And  lo!  the  century,  too, 

Gives  place  to  its  successor,  bold  and  new. 

Like  some  aged  parent,  dignified  and  grand, 

Leading  his  youngest  offspring  by  the  hand, 

The  Nineteenth  century  its  finale  takes. 

And — regal  head  bowed  low — its  exit  makes. 

How  short  the  year;  how  long  the  century  seems; 

Reviewing,  how  replete  with  wondrous  themes! 

The  grandest  century  since  Christ  was  born 

And  slain,  will  close  as  opes  the  New  Year's  morn. 

While  yet  the  Nineteenth  century  was  young. 

The  vail  was  pierced  which  o'er  this  terra  hung: 

Celestial  feet  again  the  old  earth  trod. 

And  Joseph  Smith  conversed  with  Christ  and  God. 

The  heavenly  light  shown  forth  in  darkness  then; 

Christ's  Gospel  was  again  restored  to  men: 

Alas!  the  darkness  could  not  comprehend; 

Men  slew  their  kindest,  truest,  earthly  friend. 

Before  the  century  reached  meridian, 

The  direst  massacre  was  foully  done; 

Joseph  and  Hyrum  were  the  assassin's  mark, 

Slain  were  the  Prophet  and  Patriarch! 

And  still,  the  light,  by  Joseph  turned,  shines  on, 

And  of  the  Twentieth  century  hails  the  dawn. 

Much  error  has  its  radiant  warmth  o'erthrown; 

Men  feel  the  glow,  by  whom,  the  source  unknown. 

Is  unacknowledged.    But  the  time  draws  near 

When  all  shall  know  whence  comes  the  peace  and  cheer 

Which  will  dispel  all  darkness;  it  may  be 

Ere  men  the  Twentieth  century's  finale  see. 

— L.  L.  Greene  Richards. 

Expansion  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  Dawn  of  the  Millenniam. 

The  Nineteenth   century  is  the  marvel  of  the  ages.     It  is 
marked  by  the  rapid  progress  of  science  in  ^11  its  varied  branches. 


170  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

and  its  practical  application  to  the  wants  of  man.  In  the  realms 
of  intellectual  development  and  religious  thought,  its  advances  are 
without  a  parallel.  The  inauguration  of  the  Dispensation  of  the 
Fullness  of  Times  is  an  event  unsurpassed  in  any  age.  What  the 
mystic  Twentieth  century  may  bring,  no  uninspired  tongue  can  tell. 
Among  its  probable  events  will  be  the  rapid  expansion  of  the  true 
Gospel  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  consequently,  a  recog- 
nition of  the  brotherhood  of  man,  growth  of  international  courtesy, 
and  the  dawn  of  the  Millennium. — J.  H.  Ward. 

The  Cuttain  has  Arisen  for  the  Closing  Act. 

The  world's  history  is  not  unlike  a  sublime  drama,  composed 
of  many  acts  and  scenes,  and  portrayed  by  numerous  performers. 
Since  the  dawn  of  creation,  a  majestic  and  glorious  scheme  has 
■  been  gradually  unfolding.  One  scene  after  another  has  been  pre- 
sented to  view;  and  actors  in  succession  have  made  their  appear- 
ance on  the  stage,  played  their  parts,  and  passed  on. 

With  the  close  of  the  Nineteenth  century  another  act  in  the 
grand  performance  terminated.  It  has  been  one  of  unprecedented 
brilliance— fraught  with  wonderful  and  significant  events.  In  it, 
the  splendid  and  mighty  conception  of  the  Great  Master  Mind,  by 
whom  the  complete  work  was  planned  and  is  being  conducted,  has 
been  revealed  more  clearly  than  ever  before.  A  number  of  valiant 
characters  have  been  presented  during  the  various  scenes  of  this 
momentous  period  in  the  magnificent  production,  and  those  who 
have  sustained  them  have  performed  their  parts  in  an  admirable 
manner. 

The  curtain  has  now  arisen  for  the  closing  act.  In  its  display 
of  wondrous  revelations,  it  gives  promise  of  greatly  surpassing 
everything  that  has  yet  transpired  since  the  beginning,  and  is 
destined  to  culminate  in  a  fitting  climax  of  inconceivable  splendor. 
Ere  the  grand  finale  shall  be  attained,  many  important  parts  must 
yet  be  performed  in  supporting  the  Great  Hero  who  bears  the  title- 
role,  and  who  is  expected  to  appear  in  exalted  triumph  and  resplen- 
dent glory. 

In  what  has  yet  to  take  place  to  complete  the  mighty  drama, 
the  youth  of  Israel  will  be  among  the  principal  actors.     Let  them 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  171 

learn  their  parts  well,  that  they  may  acquit  themselves  with  credit 
and  honor. — Edwin  F.  Parry. 

There  is  Pleasure  in  Living. 

The  coming  of  the  new  century  fills  me  with  a  feverish  joy. 
The  Twentieth  will  be  so  much  more  marvelous  than  the  Nineteenth. 
There  is  a  unique  pleasure  in  living  in  the  last  days,  and  in  reading 
the  signs  of  the  times. — J.  A.  Widtsoe. 

A  Commandment  for  the  Young  to  Remember* 

As  the  morning  of  a  new  century  dawns  upon  us,  with  all  the 
promises  of  a  grand  and  glorious  day,  perhaps  even  such  a  day  as 
has  never  graced  the  earth  since  God's  voice  first  sounded  in  it, 
and  all  things  were  "very  good,"  we  naturally  look  back  upon  the 
present  one  with  all  its  wonderful  achievements. 

Many  valuable  lessons  will  be  drawn  from  the  past,  and  held 
up  for  this  generation  to  profit  by. 

When  God  gave  to  Moses,  on  Mount  Sinai,  the  ten  command- 
ments, which  have  guided  and  held  in  check  unruly  mankind  for 
so  many  generations,  he  gave  one,  and  only  one,  to  which  he 
attached  a  promise.  Did  we  indeed  need  an  extra  inducement  to 
do  that  which  it  would  seem  our  hearts  would  naturally  incline  to? 
The  Alwise  Father  doubtless  knew  how  natural  it  is  for  mortals,  as 
they  grow  in  knowledge  and  greatness,  to  undervalue  the  wisdom 
of  those  who  are  older.  In  our  constant  race  for  new  things  and 
greater  achievements,  we  forget  those  which  have  served  us  well 
in  the  past.  So  with  the  men  and  women  of  another  generation, 
whose  love  and  labor  have  helped  make  us  what  we  are;  whose 
untiring  work  has  cleared  the  boulders  from  our  path;  whose  fore- 
thought has  straightened  so  many  a  tangle  that  would  have  con- 
fronted us.  Yet  how  often  do  the  young  and  the  thoughtless 
overlook  the  older  people  as  entirely  as  if  they  did  not  exist! 
When  God  said,  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother:  that  thy 
days  may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth 
thee,"  he  not  only  meant  our  own  fathers  and  mothers,  but  also 
the  fathers  and  mothers  of  all. 

May  then  the  new  century  see  the  young  people  of  Zion  grow 
in  knowledge  and  grace  before  God  and  man,  that  all  good  and 


17?.  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

desirable  things  may  come  to  them.  That  they  may  live  long  upon- 
the  earth,  let  them  honor  their  fathers  and  mothers.  When  the 
New  Year's  bells  joyously  ring  in  the  coming  year,  the  first  of 
another  hundred  from  which  we  expect  so  much,  let  them  bow  in 
reverence  to  the  gray  heads  that  helped  to  make  the  last  century 
as  great  as  it  was;  and  let  them  not  forget  that  whatsoever  ye 
soweth  that  shall  ye  also  reap. — Sophy  Valentine. 

The  Fear  of  Matefialfsm* 

The  spirit  of  the  Nineteenth  century  departs  amidst  a  blaze  of 
light  into  the  shadows  of  the  unknown,  and  points  to  this  motto 
as  characteristic  of  her  reign:  "The  glory  of  God  is  intelligence^*' 
Never  before  has  intellect  been  such  a  monarch. 

Knowledge  is  indeed  power.  As  the  electric  light  exceeds 
the  candle's  puny  ray,  so  do  the  scientific  achievements  of  this  cen- 
tury eclipse  the  efforts  of  any  other  period.  Industrial  problems 
have  disappeared  before  this  intellectual  light  like  Niobe's  children, 
before  the  shafts  of  Apollo.  On  the  whole,  the  world  is  growing 
better.  She  smiles  more  often;  she  is  more  tolerant  and  less  big- 
oted than  formerly,  and  her  yellow  eye  of  prejudice  is  but  rarely 
seen.  Liberality  has  visited  the  poor,  and  has  become  acquainted 
with  the  famine-stricken,  and  the  unfortunate.  A  mighty  light 
has  come  to  illuminate  the  dark  places  of  the  earth;  prosperity 
has  followed  in  its  wake,  and  misery  and  want  are  vanishing  into 
the  dim  past.  But  the  glare  of  scientific  achievement  casts  a  danger- 
ous shadow.  Men  have  come  to  pin  their  belief  to  scientific  proof 
alone.  What  observation,  experiment,  and  the  logic  of  reason  do 
not  demonstrate,  they  refuse  to  believe.  Yet  the  method  of  sci- 
ence is  cold  and  formal,  it  has  neither  feeling  nor  charity.  Its 
inordinate  pursuit  dries  up  the  fountains  of  sympathy,  and  chokes 
the  well  of  love.     Men  worship  success. 

Material  prosperity  keeps  time  to  every  heart  beat. 

Conquer  difficulties  and  ride  them  to  success,  is  the  ideal  of 
the  American.  In  this  we  see  the  culmination  of  the  old  Aryan 
spirit  of  progress. 

But  the  ethical  and  spiritual  in  life  are  fettered  and  thrown, 
into  prison,  and  left  to  die  of  inaction  and  neglect.  So  many 
phenomena  of  nature  that  once  overawed  man,  and  compelled  his- 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  178 

'knee  to  bend  in  reverence,  and  his  soul  to  bow  in  worship,  are  now 
explained  by  the  principles  of  cause  and  effect,  that  he  js  com- 
ing to  believe  that  science  can  explain  everything — that,  it  can 
solve  all  the  problems  of  life.  He,  therefore,  no  longer  believes  in 
visions,  miracles,  and  revelations.  Doubt  has  taken  the  place  of 
belief,  and  the  test  tube  has  usurped  the  throne  of  faith. 

The  questions  of  the  future  are  industrial,  social  and  religious. 
The  century  must  determine  how  the  marvels  of  science  and  in- 
dustry may  be  used  to  benefit  the  whole  of  mankind;  how  the  few 
may  be  prevented  from  forming  an  aristocracy  of  wealth,  more 
powerful,  more  oppressive,  and  more  to  be  dreaded  than  any  des- 
potic power  the  world  has  ever  known.  Widespread  intelligence, 
-and  the  sweet  taste  of  liberty,have  given  to  the  people  ideals  of  life 
and  of  government  which  will  not  allow  them  to  endure  industrial 
servitude  and  social  inequality.  "The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his 
hire."  Labor  will  demand  and  receive  a  share  in  the  earnings  of 
toil.  "The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fullness  thereof"  will  be 
devoted  to  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  all  the  people. 

Man  must  recognize  the  fact  that  the  ethical  and  religious  are 
the  noblest  and  the  most  real  phases  of  his  being,  and  that  all  else 
must  be  subordinated  to  them.  When  the  industrial  and  social 
problems  are  solved;  when  cheap  production  and  distribution  of 
the  essentials  of  life  are  assured  to  all;  and  when  opportunities  for 
the  accumulation  of  great  wealth  and  for  the  exercise  of  ambitious 
power  are  no  longer  possible,  then  will  the  restless  spirit  of  man 
seek  a  new  sanction  in  ethical  and  religious  ideals.  God  has  not 
abandoned  man.  He  is  still  solicitous  for  his  welfare.  Let  us 
hope  that  the  Twentieth  century  will  make  more  rapid  progress 
towards  the  Millennium  than  has  the  past. — Mosiah  Hall. 

The  Century's  Brightest  Star. 

The  memory  of  the  Nineteenth  century  is  destined  to  continue 
down  through  the  ages,  partly  on  account  of  the  world's  wonder- 
ful progress  in  material  prosperity,  through  inventions  in  the  use- 
ful arts  and  discoveries  in  science;  but,  while  these  things  may 
fade  into  insignificance  in  the  light  of  greater  things  to  come,  there 
is  one  star  in  its  crown  that  will  ever  prevent  its  passing  into  obliv- 
ion, and  that  will  increase  in  effulgence,  not  only  while  earth  shall 


174  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

last,  but  in  the  eternities  to  come,  and  that  is:  the  ushering  in  of 
the  Gospel  Dispensation  of  the  Fullness  of  Times. — Attewall 

WOOTTON. 

Some  Advice  to  the  Youth  of  Zion. 

We  are  now  standing  upon  the  threshold  pf  a  new  century. 
Time,  in  its  constant  revolution,  ushers  in  the  dawn  of  a  new  era, 
the  birth  of  a  new  year,  and  the  inauguration  of  a  new  century. 
"Onward,"  is  our  theme  and  song;  "Forward,"  our  course  and  path- 
way! In  reviewing  the  past,  we  behold  on  every  hand  the  marvel- 
ous works  and  wonderful  manifestations  of  God's  power  and  good- 
ness. During  the  century  which  has  now  gone  to  form  the  history 
of  the  past,  we  have  witnessed  the  opening  of  the  heavens;  the 
visitation  of  angels;  the  restoration  of  the  everlasting  Gospel;  the 
interposition  of  the  mighty  hand  of  Providence  in  behalf  of  the 
afflicted,  exiled  Saints;  their  establishment  in  the  Rockies,  and  their 
prosperity  as  a  people. 

To  the  youth  of  Zion,  yea,  to  the  young  men  of  the  world,  I 
would  say:  be  industrious,  sober,  energetic  and  faithful.  Have  a 
righteous  target  in  view,  with  a  firm,  resolute  will  to  deliver  the 
shaft!  Study  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  let  speculation,  phi- 
losophy, worldly  wisdom,  and  the  logic  of  schools  take  their  proper, 
legitimate  stations;  but  in  things  pertaining  to  godliness,  holiness, 
righteousness  and  eternal  life,  let  revelation  be  your  guiding  star; 
and  when  she  marks  the  path,  you  may  pursue  it  in  safety  and  se- 
curity. Strive  to  pattern  after  the  example  of  him  who  was  the 
perfect  exemplification  of  all  things  holy  and  pleasing  in  the  sight 
of  his  Father — even  Jesus,  the  captain  of  our  salvation,  who  went 
about  "doing  good."  Serve  Gcd,honor  the  Priesthood,  give  heed 
to  the  voice  of  inspiration,  love  one  another,  overcome  evil  with 
good,  master  self,  and  then  you  are  following  in  his  steps. — Ben 
E.  Rich. 


Prospects  of  Sanctified  Existence.  'jT^J^! 

"The  earth  abideth  the  law  of  a  celestial  kingdom,  for  it 
filleth  the  measure  of  its  creation,  and  transgresseth  not  the  law," 
says  the  Lord  through  Joseph  the  Prophet.  The  Nineteenth  cen- 
tury has  witnessed  wonderful  progress  in  this  evolution  of  the 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  175 

earth  toward  its  perfect  goal.  If  the  Twentieth  century  brings, 
proportionately,  the  same  advancement,  who  shall  say  how  near 
this  globe  of  ours  shall  be  to  its  sanctification,  when  it,  with  all 
its  creations  upon  it,  will  take  its  place  among  the  self-shining 
spheres  of  the  universe! — Nephi  Anderson. 

The  Old  and  the  New. 

"Give  thanks!"  sang  the  angels,  "the  New  Year  is  born!" 

"Cling-clang!"  cried  the  bells,  in  a  tumult  of  praise. 
"The  night  is  departing.     All  hail  to  the  morn! 
To  the  hope  and  the  promise  of  happier  days!" 

"Give  glory!  Cling-clang!  0  rejoice!"  the  bells  said, 
"Let  us  wake  the  whole  earth  with  the  gladness  we  feel. 

Till  old  wrongs  are  buried,  and  old  sins  are  dead, 
And  every  heart  bounds  to  our  jubilant  peal!" 

"Praise  Him!"  sang  the  seraphs.  "Let  war  and  hate  cease; 

And  straying  feet  turn  from  the  paths  they  have  trod. 
Let  Love  rule  the  world  with  his  scepter  of  peace. 

The  Old  year  is  gone.     Give  the  New  Year  to  God." 

As  the  people  of  former  times  shouted,  "The  king  is  dead! 
Long  live  the  king !"  so  shout  we  at  the  close  of  the  century. 

As  we  review  it,  the  truth  is  born  in  upon  us  that  it  began 
with  war  and  it  is  ending  with  war.  Sad  commentary  on  the 
results  of  the  actions  of  men  for  the  past  hundred  years.  Although 
the  century  will  go  down  in  history  as  one  remarkable  for  great 
inventions;  inventions  coined  from  men's  minds  to  suit  the  arts  of 
peace  as  well  as  the  arts  of  war;  yet,  there  has  been  lacking  one 
great  moral  purpose  along  the  whole  line. 

Let  us  pause  and  think.  Has  the  purpose  of  these  inventions 
been  to  secure  an  advancement  of  the  race  or  of  the  individual? 
Are  we  not  all  God's  children,  and  if  by  their  signs  we  shall  know 
them,  have  not  many  of  the  people  of  the  Nineteenth  century, 
even  down  to  its  close,  been  tainted  with  a  thirst  for  warfare, 
either  in  the  mad  chase  for  wealth  or  for  fame?  Possibly  living 
in  a  century,  where  war  has  run  like -a  red  thread  through  it,  has 
tended  to  turn  men's  minds  more  to  combat  than  to  peace.  But 
despite  the  fact  of  wars  and  distrust  among  nations,  the  spirit  of 
rivalry  has  not  been  without  some  gain.     Races  sunk  in  slavery 


176  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

have  been  raised  from  despair;  and  now  at  the  close  of  the  century, 
mighty  efforts  along  educational  lines  are  being  made  to  raise 
them  to  the  full  stature  of  man. 

Viewed  in  the  light  of  past  ages,  the  Nineteenth  century  has 
made  great  strides  in  morality.  In  education,  a  great  forward 
move  has  been  made  since  it  has  become  evident  to  the  enlightened 
nations  of  the  world  that  education  is  a  power  which  cannot  be 
overlooked.  Women  of  the  Nineteenth  century,  unlike  the  Roman 
matrons,  are  teaching  their  boys,  not  to  buckle  on  their  armor  to 
go  forth,  but  to  keep  to  their  books  and  to  the  more  peaceful  arts 
of  home.  And  it  must  be  said  for  the  credit  of  the  century  just 
passed  that  education  is  more  within  the  grasp  of  the  people  than 
it  ever  was  before. 

But,  leaving  aside  whatever  the  century  has  done  or  left 
undone,  let  us  turn  our  faces  boldly  to  the  future.  Let  us  face 
the  new  century  with  new  hopes,  new  aspirations,  fresh  courage. 
Let  us  make  it  a  starting  point  from  which  we  may  press  forward 
with  new  life,  leaving  the  dead  past  to  bury  its  dead. 

The  new,  holds  everything  in  store  for  us,  it  has  not  been  con- 
taminated by  the  touch  of  anything  vile,  it  is  pure,  fresh  from  the 
hand  of  the  Creator;  and  let  us  take  it  so,  and  endeavor  by  every 
means  in  our  power  to  keep  the  Twentieth  century,  so  far  as  we 
are  concerned,  as  pure  and  fresh  as  when  it  came  to  us.  There  is 
a  great  task  to  be  accomplished,  and  the  new  century  holds  jewels 
in  store  for  those  who  wish  to  avail  themselves  of  them.  There 
are  opportunities  for  every  young  man,  for  every  young  woman, 
for  every  one.  in  fact,  to  do  their  utmost  to  make  the  new  century 
the  best  and  brightest  that  the  world  has  ever  seen. 

Let  the  grand  work  of  The  Church  be  spread  far  and  wide. 
The  Church  which  had  its  rise  in  the  Nineteenth  century  is  destined 
to  do  a  glorious  work  in  the  next,  for  that  there  is  a  work  to  be 
done,  no  one  doubts.  There  are  lives  to  be  made  purer,  there  are 
hearts  to  be  encouraged,  there  are  nations  to  be  raised  from  the 
slough  of  despair;  and  there  is  a  still  grander  work,  a  work  which 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  has  proclaimed 
from  the  beginning,  the  heralding  to  all  the  world,  "Glory  to  God 
in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." — Sara 

WHALEN.  (Continued  on  page  214.) 


THE  MISSIONARY'S  WIFE. 

BY   SARAH   E.  PEARSON. 


How  still  the  world  lies  'neath  it's  shroud  of  snow 

This  bitter  winter's  night; 
And  every  crystal  like  a  diamond  throws 

It's  shaft  of  light — 
Reflection  of  the  myriad  cold,  white  stars 

Gleaming  on  high; 
Nor  smallest  hint  of  feathery  cloudlet  mars 

The  deep,  dark  sky. 
Pure  as  a  vestal  virgin,  and  serene, 
Earth's  picture  from  my  cottage  window  seen. 

And  yet  the  boom  of  foam-capped,  phantom  waves 

Is  in  my  ears; 
And  deadly  perils  of  the  mighty  deep 

Provoke  my  fears — 
For  oh,  somewhere  upon  the  awful  waste 

Of  ocean  wide, 
My  love  is  borne  with  every  pulse  away 

Upon  it's  tide. 
Farther  from  home  and  country,  and  from  me. 
To  stranger-lands  beyond  the  throbbing  sea. 

He  goes  forth  weeping,  hearing  precious  seed, 

Oh,  earth,  for  though 
To  me  so  cold  and  fair,  thy  children's  sins 

Stain  thy  pure  snow. 
The  Master  called,  I  gave  him,  earth,  for  thee; 

My  best  beloved, 


178  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Smiled  on  the  sacrifice,  nor  let  him  see 

How  I  was  moved — 
A  last  fond  kiss,  I  softly  closed  the  door, 
And  sank  down  fainting  on  the  cottage  floor. 

Oh,  zephyrs,  waft  my  blessings  to  my  love, 

O'er  vale  and  lea; 
Oh,  winds,  take  up  the  whisper,  like  a  dove, 

And  bear  it  out  to  sea; 
Oh,  waves,  rock  him  so  gently  on  thy  breast 

He  may  not  miss 
So  much  as  I,  his  lonely,  loving  wife, 

Our  goodnight  kiss. 
Oh,  Christ,  in  vision  comfort  thou  thine  own 
With  sweetest  message  from  the  great  white  throne. 

And  help,  that  I  my  burden  take  again 

In  trustful  cheerfulness; 
To  worthy  be  of  him  who  in  his  pain 

Pities  my  loneliness. 
And  bid  the  years  pass  swiftly,  like  a  span 

Of  twilight  hour; 
The  bud  of  hope — that  we  may  meet  again — 

Bloom  into  flower. 
In  Thee  I  trust,  shield  from  the  world's  alarms, — 
My  pure,  true  husband  give  back  to  my  arms. 


WOLVES  IN  SHEEPS  CLOTHING. 

BY  SARA  WHALEN,  TEACHER  IN  THE  UTAH  STATE  SCHOOL  FOR  THE 

BLIND,  OGDEN. 


Alas!  for  the  rarity  of  Christian  charity  under  the  sun! 

Oh!  it  was  pitiful!  Near  a  whole  city  full,  friends  he  had  none, 

"I  am  miserably  alone,  a  stranger  in  a  strange  city,  whither 
shill  I  turn  for  counsel?  0,  caste!  why  is  station  so  impenetrable 
a  wall?  Has  spirit  given  place  to  form,  in  religion,  in  life,  in 
society?  It  is  not  food  nor  raiment  that  my  heart  craves;  but  it 
is  communion  with  my  kind." 

The  speaker  was  a  young  man  about  twenty-three  years  of 
age.  He  sat  in  a  room  which  was  plainly,  almost  severely  fur- 
nished; there  were  few  luxuries  in  the  apartment.  As  for  its  occu- 
pant, he  was  tastily  though  plainly  clad.  There  was  nothing 
remarkable  in  his  personal  appearance.  He  was  neither  handsome 
nor  homely,  neither  short  nor  tall,  yet  his  face  had  a  pleasant  and 
thoughtful  expression,  and  his  grey  eyes  betokened  a  reflective 
mind.  He  seemed  now  to  be  suffering  from  a  deep  dejection.  He 
sat  for  some  moments  abstracted,  then  arose,  put  on  his  hat  and 
coat  mechanically  and  went  from  the  house  into  the  street. 

About  three  months  before,  Arthur  Schofield  had  left  his 
rural  Vermont  home  and  come  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  city.  He 
had  found  employment  in  one  of  the  large  factories  so  prominent 
in  New  England  cities.  He  had  been  bereft  of  a  father's  counsel 
when  a  mere  youth,  but  his  early  years  had  been  guarded  by  a 
mother's  solicitous  care.    He  had  received  a  moral  and  religious, 


180  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

as  well  as  an  intellectual  education.  He  had  been  an  apt  scholar 
and  made  special  progress  in  the  mathematical  branches.  His 
desire  for  companionship  was  very  strong,  and  his  mother  feared 
for  him  in  this  particular. 

"Keep  your  heart  pure  and  your  honor  bright,  my  boy,"  she 
had  said  to  him  at  parting.  "Keep  good  companions,  be  sure  of 
that;  shun  bad  company  as  you  would  a  serpent." 

Ever  since  he  had  been  in  the  city,  Arthur  Schofield  had  longed 
for  those  social  pleasures  in  which  all  of  us  delight,  but  whose 
need  none  of  us  feel  deeply,  until  we  are  deprived  of  them.  He 
had  sought,  in  vain,  an  entrance  to  good  society,  and  the  failure 
to  find  it  had  made  a  deep  impression  upon  him.  His  training 
naturally  led  him  into  church  work,  but  the  city  church  seemed 
to  him  stiff  and  ceremonious.  He  looked,  in  vain,  for  the  people 
to  greet  him.  He  felt  a  lack  of  sociability;  no  one  welcomed 
him — a  stranger — and  after  he  had  made  a  casual  acquaintance, 
a  formal  "good  morning"  or  other  such  common-place  greeting 
was  all  that  he  in  most  cases  received.  This  precision  froze  out 
of  him  his  love  for  the  church.  "If  the  church  will  not  open 
for  me  the  door  to  society,  where  shall  I  find  it  open?"  And  thus, 
for  some  weeks,  he  had  ceased  to  attend  public  worship. 

Let  us  follow  him  in  his  walk.  For  some  time,  he  seemed  not 
to  know  which  way  to  turn.  At  length  a  hand  on  his  arm  recalled 
him  to  reality,  and  turning  he  saw  Frank  Marsey,  one  of  the  book- 
keepers in  the  same  factory  in  which  he  was  employed. 

"Hello,  Schofield!  What's  the  matter  with  you?  Why,  you 
look  as  if  you  hadn't  a  friend  in  the  world.  Cheer  up,  my  lad, 
there's  plenty  to  live  for,  and  a  jolly  good  time  for  those  who  will 
take  it.    Come  with  me  to  Carman's." 

Arthur  Schofield  reflected  a  moment  before  replying.  He 
knew  that  Carman's  was  a  gentlemen's  club  with  bar  attached. 
Shall  I  go?  he  questioned.  Marsey  had  been  going  there  for  years, 
and  he  fared  well  enough;  he  seemed  to  get  some  pleasure  out  of 
life!  Why  should  he  deny  himself  a  pleasant  evening,  now  it  was 
offered  to  him?    He  thought  Marsey  saw  his  embarrassment. 

"Come,  come,  Schofield,"  he  said  quickly,  "you'll  enjoy  your- 
self.   Come,  and  don't  mince  about  trifles." 

"Well,  I'll  go,"  Schofield  answered. 


WOLVES  IN  SHEEP'S  CLOTHING.  181 

They  walked  on  rapidly  together  until  they  reached  the  club. 
They  entered  a  large,  airy  apartment,  fitted  up  with  those  com- 
forts and  luxuries  which  make  for  ease  and  enjoyment.  The  walls 
were  hung  with  pictures  and  the  whole  aspect  of  the  place  was 
cheerful.  Men  sat  in  various  parts  of  the  room  smoking  cigars, 
reading  papers  or  magazines,  cracking  jokes,  or  in  groups  chatting 
pleasantly  or  discussing  the  latest  local  or  sporting  incidents,  or 
playing  at  cards,  billiards,  pool  or  other  games.  It  was  a  picture 
of  hospitality.  It  is  doubtful  if  Schofield  had  ever  witnessed  a 
gathering  of  this  sort  before.  He  was  struck  with  the  adaptation 
which  seemed  to  pervade  everything.  As  they  entered,  all  eyes 
turned  toward  the  door. 

"Hello,  Marsey!    You  come  late." 

"Yes,  a  little  late.  I  have  brought  a  friend  of  mine  to  spend 
the  evening.  What's  the  news?  Let's  have  a  bottle  and  some 
glasses.  Landel,  Parker,  Styles,  Morris,  Ross  (motioning  these 
gentlemen  to  seats  at  the  table  with  himself  and  Schofield,)  our 
friend  here,  Mr.  Schofield,  is  a  new  comer  in  the  city,  and  I  have 
brought  him  to  see  the  club.  I  am  pleased  to  make  you  gentlemen 
acquainted.    I  am  sure  that  you  will  all  like  him." 

All  arose  and  extended  their  hands. 

"Glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Schofield,"  said  Landel,  cordially. 

"It  gives  us  all  pleasure  to  meet  you!"  exclaimed  Parker. 

"We  don't  stand  on  formalities  here,  but  you  will  always  be 
welcome,"  said  Styles. 

"I  hope  you  will  feel  at  home  among  us,"  said  Morris,  and 
immediately  resumed  his  reading. 

"And  come  often,"  said  Ross,  handing  Schofield  a  cigar. 

"Oh,  we  are  a  jolly  crowd,  as  you  will  find  us,"  said  Parker, 
pouring  out  a  glass  of  wine  as  he  spoke,  and  handiDg  it  to  Scho- 
field. 

"Don't  refuse,"  said  Marsey,  seeing  the  expression  on  Scho- 
field's  countenance,  "it  will  help  you  to  shake  off  that  dose  of 
blues." 

Schofield  took  the  wine  and  drank  it.  Then  he  sat  and  watched 
the  group  while  Marsey,  Ross  and  Styles  engaged  in  a  game  of 
euchre.  Morris  was  still  occupied  with  his  paper  and  Parker  was 
carelessly  looking  through  a  late  periodical.    In  a  little  while  he 


182  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

put  down  his  magazine  and  engaged  in  a  bright  conversation  with 
Schofield.  He  talk^  ]  so  merrily  that  Arthur  forgot  his  sense  of 
loneliness  and  entered  with  zest  into  the  evening's  pleasure. 

"I  always  thought  of  a  place  where  liquor  was  sold  as  low, 
but  thii  is  refined,  and  politeness  is  the  law."  Thus  thought 
Arthur  Schofield;  thus  have  thought  many  others  like  him!  He 
saw  the  picture  painted  in  bright  colors.  He  beheld  only  the 
bright  side  of  the  canvas. 

He  returned  to  his  lodgings  that  night  with  a  lighter  heart; 
he  had,  at  last,  found  intercourse  with  his  kind.  From  this  time 
he  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  club.  One  evening,  as  he  and 
Parker  were  conversing,  the  talk  turned  upon  churches. 

"I  never  go  there:  they  are  too  formal  for  me,"  said  Parker. 
"They  preach  charity  and  never  lift  a  hand  to  help  a  poor  fellow 
up  when  he  is  down.  I  used  to  go,  but  I  made  up  my  mind  that 
they  didn't  want  me;  I  felt  that  I  was  being  shouldered  out.  There 
was  more  pleasure  in  cycling,  rowing,  and  base-ball  than  in  church, 
where  nobody  notices  anybody  else  unless  he  can  write  his  fortune  in 
at  least  five  figures.  Money  rules  the  churches  now,  as  it  does 
everything  else;  and  so  one  has  it,  it  is  not  much  matter  how  he 
gets  it." 

He  drained  his  wine-glass  as  he  spoke,  with  a  self-satisfied 
air,  but  his  words  had  made  a  deep  impression  on  Schofield,  who 
went  away  thinking  of  his  friends  and  their  strange  opinions;  and 
over  and  again  this  saying  kept  repeating  itself:  "In  church,  where 
nobody  notices  anybody  else  unless  he  can  write  his  fortune  in  at 
least  five  figures."  Then  he  thought  of  his  mother.  What  would 
she  think  could  she  but  know  his  thoughts  now?  But  she  did  not 
know  what  had  impelled  him  to  these  thoughts.  She  did  not  know 
the  void  that  had  been  in  his  soul  since  his  parting  from  her,  and 
the  cheerless  waste  of  heart  solitude  through  which  he  had  passed. 
He  had  not  been  willing  to  trouble  or  vex  her;  therefore,  he  had 
written  in  a  cheerful  tone,  describing  his  work  and  his  surroundings 
in  his  most  pleasant  manner.  Could  she  blame  him  if  she  knew  his 
provocation?  Thus  he  reasoned,  and  with  these  thoughts  he  fell 
asleep.  The  next  morning  being  Sunday,  he  resolved  to  attend 
church  again.  The  service  seemed  even  more  hollow  than  before. 
The  preacher  was  more  erudite  and  dry  than  ever.     The  whole 


WOLVES  IN  SHEEP'S  CLOTHING.  183 

commended  itself  to  him,  in  his  cynical  mood,  as  husk  and  mockery. 
"0,  if  some  one  would  but  show  a  fellowship  toward  me  now — 
show  that  there  was  still  a  brotherly  love  in  man."  He  ques- 
tioned thus  as  he  passed  down  the  long  aisle  on  his  way  out,  but 
his  hopes  were  destined  to  disappointment.  A  few  deigned  him  a 
look  of  recognition,  but  most  passed  him  by  unnoticed.  One  gentle- 
man lifted  his  eyebrows  slightly  at  his  approach.  "Huh,"  said  he 
to  his  neighbor,  "there  will  not  much  good  come  out  of  him,  I  saw 
him  go  into  Carman's  Club  only  last  night,  and  half  the  fellows 
that  go  in  there  go  to  the  dogs  in  six  months." 

From  that  hour  Arthur  Schofield  resolved  nevermore  to  enter 
that  church.  After  this  resolve,  he  became  more  reckless.  It  was 
not  long  before  he  found  that  the  expense  of  the  club  was  more 
than  he  could  afford,  yet  he  was  loath  to  lose  the  society  of  his 
friends.  At  last  prudential  reasons  prevailed.  Meantime,  love 
for  drink  had  obtained  a  hold  upon  him.  He  thus  gradually  came 
to  frequent  the  saloon.  Here  he  found  companions,  though  of  a 
coarser  type.  Now  he  began  to  see  another  and  a  darker  side  of 
the  picture;  but  he  found  companionship,  and  society,  even  such 
society,  was  preferable  to  solitude.  Besides,  he  found  drink  first 
in  the  wine,  but  he  was  now  content  with  the  frothing  beer,  the 
stout  ale,  or  the  whiskey  punch.  For  poor  Schofield  the  descent 
was  easy.  Thus  it  was  that,  one  night,  our  young  friend  returned 
to  his  lodging  with  an  unsteady  step  and  spent  some  hours  in  a 
state  of  semi-intoxication.  And  now  the  restraint  of  his  self- 
respect  deserted  him.  He  had  lost  even  that.  From  that  time 
his  descent  was  certain  and  rapid.  One  evening  he  was  passing 
along  the  street  in  a  self-satisfied  air,  usual  to  men  in  an  inebri- 
ated state,  when  a  man  touched  him  on  the  arm,  and  said: 

"My  friend,  will  you  not  come  to  our  meeting;  I  mean  the  new 
mission?" 

In  an  instant  Schofield,  who  had  been  shambling  at  his  ease, 
stood  upright.  He  trembled,  but  not  from  intoxication.  His  hands 
were  clenched.  His  face  was  livid;  his  eyes  flashed.  His  voice 
choked  with  rage:  "And  is  it  I  that  you  invite  to  come  to  your 
missions?  I  will  have  none  of  them!  My  self-respect  may  not  be 
able  to  bear  me  against  the  tide  of  temptations  that  sweep  around 
me;  my  will  may  be  weak.    Society  exists  for  the  few,  for  the 


184  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

abasement  of  many.  It  creates  vagabonds  and  outcasts  where  it 
refuses  to  give  a  man  a  chance  to  raise  himself.  It  makes  us 
what  we  are  because  your  churches  are  too  proper  and  precise  to 
recognize  a  man  in  plain  clothing;  then  it  creates  missions  to 
reform  us!  Go  tell  those  who  sent  you  that  you  found  one  who 
dared  tell  you  that  had  society  done  its  duty  he  would  have  no 
need  of  rescue."  He  moved  away  leaving  his  auditor  speechless. 
Arthur  Schofield  had  come  to  regard  society  with  something  akin 
to  hatred. 

*  *  *  *  *  iti 

The  circuit  court-room  was  crowded.  It  was  a  day  in  early 
spring,  and  nature,  in  her  beauty,  contrasted  with  the  scene  of 
stern  justice  that  was  being  enacted  within.  For  a  week  the  trial 
had  been  in  progress,  and  the  people  were  on  the  qui  vive.  All 
was  expectancy.  It  was  a  criminal  proceeding.  A  bold  robbery 
had  been  committed  in  an  untenanted  house.  Much  valuable  prop- 
erty had  been  taken,  and  to  make  the  crime  more  heinous,  family 
portraits  had  been  marred,  and  heirlooms  had  been  damaged.  The 
prisoner  was  in  the  dock  charged  with  the  crime.  It  was  Arthur 
Schofield,  to  whom  we  introduced  the  reader  only  eleven  months 
before.  Seven  months  had  sufficed  to  accomplish  his  ruin.  His 
passion  for  drink  had  robbed  him  of  his  position,  then  of  his  sense 
of  honor.  Once  on  the  downward  road,  he  knew  no  break.  He 
mixed  with  dissolute  companions.  His  will  was  weak  and  his  cour- 
age to  say  "no"  flagged  at  every  step.  He  needed  drink  to  make 
him  reckless,  to  make  him  forget  the  past— what  he  had  been— 
what  he  might  have  been — and  he  must  have  money  to  pay  for 
drink.  He  stood  now  as  a  common  house-breaker.  A  vast  con- 
course of  people  came  to  hear  the  words  pronounced  that  would 
brand  him  as  an  outlaw.  In  that  crowd  sat  the  pastor  of  the 
church  in  which  he  had  first  sought  fellowship.  There,  too,  sat 
Frank  Marsey  with  two  or  three  of  his  boon  companions.  The 
mystery  of  the  trial  had  been  the  sullen  silence  of  the  prisoner. 
He  had  accomplices,  but  their  number  and  whereabouts  were  not 
known.  Now,  in  the  hushed  stillness  of  the  court-room,  the  voice 
of  the  judge  came,  serious,  solemn,  with  the  usual  question: 

"Have  you  anything  to  say  why  sentence  should  not  be  passed 
upon  you?" 


WOLVES  IN  SHEEFS  CLOTHING.  185 

There  was  an  instant  of  death-like  silence,  and  in  that  instant 
the  prisoner's  form  and  features  underwent  a  remarkable  trans- 
formation. The  sullen  stolidity  relaxed;  he  quaked  in  every  joint. 
He  seemed  completely  unnerved.  He  arose  with  difficulty  to  his 
feet.  His  voice  was  tremulous.  His  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  he 
surveyed  the  court-room. 

"Only  this,"  Schofield  answered,  "that  had  not  society  slammed 
the  door  in  my  face,  I  should  not  have  been  a  prisoner  at  this  bar. 
I  knocked  for  admission,  but  it  was  not  granted.  My  prospects  were 
as  bright  as  those  of  any  other  young  man;  but  I  loved  companion- 
ship better  than  solitude.  To  find  it,  I  was  drawn  into  a  saloon;  the 
passion  for  drink  became  my  master.  To  purchase  it,  I  was  led  to 
steal;  and  I  am  here.  I  am  guilty.  I  will  not  ask  for  mercy;  for 
mercy  to  me  would  be  bitterness." 

He  sat  down,  exhausted.  Every  eye  in  that  vast  assembly 
filled  with  sympathetic  feeling.  The  judge,  in  a  broken  voice,  read 
the  minimum  sentence  of  the  court.  Arthur  Schofield  went  out, 
his  character  smirched,  sentenced  to  long  years  of  labor  in  the 
common  prison. 

There  was  another  heart  in  that  court-room  on  whom  the 
sentence  fell  with  blighting  force.  Arthur  Schofield's  mother  was 
crushed  by  the  blow. 

"Oh,  my  boy!  my  boy!"  She  groaned  in  deep  anguish  of  soul. 

"Will  it  ever  be  possible  for  him  to  rise  and  shake  off  the  load  of 

guilt  and  shame?" 

*  *  *  ,  *  *  * 

In  observing  the  life  history  of  a  young  man,  such  as  is  men- 
tioned in  this  story,  or  in  reading  about  him,  is  not  one  strongly 
impressed  with  the  fact  that  he  has  missed  the  light  of  the  new 
and  everlasting  Gospel? 

And  do  not  our  missionaries,  as  well  as  the  people  of  our 
Church,  for  all  may  be  missionaries  in  this  respect,  have  a  noble 
work  to  perform,  to  lead  such  young  men  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  young  men  who  are  craving  for  spiritual  food,  craving  for 
the  love  of  that  elder  brother,  for  the  pleasant  companionship  of 
friends,  who  may  be  accounted  real,  true  friends? 

Is  it  not  a  blessing  that  we  are  living  in  this  dispensation? 
And  while  we  have  these  blessings,  we  must  be  faithful  to  the 


186  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

trust  to  impart  to  others  this  great  knowledge,  for  when  the  judg- 
ment book  shall  be  opened,  shall  the  young  man  alone  be  to  blame 
for  his  downfall? 


GOD  AND  NATURE. 


There's  no  effect  without  a  cause; 
The  laws  of  Nature  are  God's  laws. 

All  things  are  new,  first  known  or  seen. 
Their  types  are  old,  they've  always  been. 
'Tis  said  of  God,  with  truth  profound. 
His  works  are  one  eternal  round, 

A  constant  re-creation. 
The  germ  that's  quickened  first  today 
Will  run  its  race  and  pass  away. 
But  from  its  life  new  germs  will  spring 
And  run  their  race  in  that  same  ring: 

So  on  without  cessation. 

Unceasingly  the  morning  light 

Is  driving  back  the  shades  of  night, 

And  ever,  in  his  glory  bright. 

The  sun  comes  crowned  with  dazzling  v/hite, 

His  glorious  path  ascending. 
Warmed  by  his  rays,  the  mists  arise 
As  if  to  meet  him  in  the  skies, 
Then,  at  the  angry  storm's  command, 
They  turn  again  and  seek  the  land, 

In  showers  of  rain  descending. 

The  vigorous  drops  refresh  the  land; 
The  effect  is  felt  on  every  hand. 


GOD  AND  NATURE.  187 

By  animals  both  great  and  small, 
By  tiny  plants  and  forests  tall, 

In  circles  wide  extending. 
The  moistened  soil  with  strength  is  rife, 
The  purer  air  imparts  new  life. 
The  quickening  impulse  spreads  abroad. 
And  Nature  feels  the  pulse  of  God — 

The  fact  not  comprehending. 

The  eager  earth  absorbs  the  rain. 
Which  myriad  springs  send  forth  again. 
Thus  rippling  rills  to  rivers  grow. 
And  mighty  floods  forever  flow, 

Their  way  to  ocean  wending. 
From  thence  again  the  vapors  rise. 
Again  the  clouds  form  in  the  skies. 
And,  carried  by  the  winds,  again 
Enrich  the  land  with  snow  or  rain, 

In  round  that's  never  ending. 

Great  Sun!  thou  type  of  Him  on  high 
Who  made  the  ocean,  land  and  sky. 
No  form  of  force  on  earth,  we  see. 
That  doth  not  have  its  source  in  thee. 

But  for  thine  aid  sustaining 
No  seed  could  germinate  or  grow. 
No  clouds  could  form,  no  winds  could  blow. 
Without  thy  light,  all  things  would  die, 
And  earth  herself  in  ruins  lie, 

Forever  thus  remaining. 

Small  is  the  earth,  compared  with  thee. 
Yet,  in  His  greater  majesty. 
Who  made  and  holds  thee  in  his  hand. 
And  counts  the  worlds  as  grains  of  sand. 

His  glory  all  transcending. 
Thy  majesty  as  naught  appears, 
And  evanescent  as  the  years. 
Which,  as  they  pass,  to  mortals  seem      • 
The  fleeting  phantom  of  a  dream. 

Forgotten  ere  its  ending. 


188  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

'Twas  God  who  fixed  thee  in  thy  course^ 
From  him  is  all  thy  light  and  force, 
His  power,  as  manifest  in  thee, 
Extends  throughout  immensity, 

His  kingdoms  still  increasing. 
However  great,  however  small, 
He  planned  and  formed  and  governs  all- 
The  glorious  sun,  the  mote  in  air. 
Is  each  the  object  of  his  care 

And  love  that's  never  ceasing. 

Yet,  faithless  man  hath  vainly  thought 
No  God  hath  all  these  marvels  wrought... 
And  nature,  to  his  narrow  sight, 
Will  end  in  an  eternal  night 

Of  utter  desolation. 
Truth-seeking  man,  with  faith  now  sees 
All  things  in  higher  spheres  than  these,. 
And  ever  as  the  cycles  roll 
Will  feel  in  his  immortal  soul 

A  higher  aspiration. 

E.  M.  Webb. 
Colonia  Duhlan,  Mexico. 


LANGUAGE  CULTURE. 


BY  ATTEWALL.  WOOTTON. 


One  of  the  greatest  demands  in  our  educational  work  is  a 
more  careful  training  in  the  use  of  language.  It  is  deplorable 
how  many  of  our  young  people  show  serious  defects  in  their  use  of 
English. 

This  is  not  confined  to  those  engaged  in  the  ordinary  avoca- 
tions of  life,  but  is  quite  conspicuous  among  teachers  in  our  pub- 
lic schools,  where  the  errors  and  defects  are  liable  to  be  perpetu- 
ated in  the  rising  generation.  These  defects  are  not  due  to  any 
negligence  in  the  teaching  of  the  technical  grammar  or  rhetoric, 
nor,  on  the  part  of  teachers,  to  their  lack  of  knowledge  of  those 
principles — these  subjects  are  given  due  prominence  in  our  insti- 
tutions of  learning— but  they  are  largely  due  to  early  habits 
formed  before  the  technical  study  of  language  is  taken  up,  and  to 
association  with  uneducated  or  careless  speakers  in  the  home  sur- 
roundings. 

Many  parents,  having  had  but  little  opportunity  for  learning, 
are  unable  to  give  suitable  models  for  speech  or  to  correct  errors 
elsewhere  acquired,  thus  leaving  the  children  to  form  many  habits 
that  are  erroneous  and  that  must  mar  the  speech  through  life  un- 
less corrected  later  by  the  teachers ;  and  teachers  often  think  their 
duty  done  when  they  have  taught  the  rules  of  grammar  that,  if 
followed,  would  correct  the  errors,  not  realizing  that  the  habits 
are  left  unchanged  and  old  errors  unconsciously  perpetuated. 
Better  that  a  person  be  habituated  to  correct  habits  of  speech, 
^even  if  he  should  never  learn  the  technicalities  of  grammar,  than 


190  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

to  learn  the  rules  of  grammatical  construction  after  having  formed 
habits  that  will  betray  him  and  bring  only  chagrin,  for  his  knowl- 
edge of  rules  is  generally  applied  only  after  the  errors  are  made. 

A  story  is  told  of  an  excellent  teacher  of  English  in  a  noted 
educational  institution  of  the  United  States,  having  gained  his 
education  late  in  life,  who,  when  irritated  would  berate  his  pupils 
in  the  very  worst  English.  The  old  habits  would  assert  them- 
selves in  spite  of  his  later  learning. 

Nothing  is  considered  a  better  indication  of  a  cultured  mind 
than  clear,  concise  forms  of  expression,  careful  choice  of  words, 
and  pure  grammatical  construction.  Where  these  are  lacking, 
other  attainments  are  thrown  in  the  background  for  want  of  ap- 
propriate expressions. 

Although  our  primary  and  intermediate  schools  may  be  de- 
serving of  censure  for  their  failure  in  language  training,  finding 
fault  with  the  schools  will  never  remedy  the  errors  of  the  past. 
Here  is  a  field  for  profitable  and  valuable  work  in  the  Improve- 
ment Associations. 

It  is  true  they  have  done  much  in  the  past  to  encourage 
practice  in  written  language  by  essays  and  other  forms  of  compo- 
sition, but  often — too  often — these  are  mere  exercises  in  plagiar- 
ism, which  often  receive  unmerited  applause  to  the  discourage- 
ment of  those  are  who  writing  honest  essays.  While  practice  in  writ- 
ing is  very  valuable,  care  should  be  taken  to  discourage  dishonesty 
in  whatever  form  it  may  present  itself. 

As  oral  language  always  precedes  written,  it  may  be  consid- 
ered the  fountain  from  whence  springs  all  power  or  excellence  in 
writing,  and  if  from  the  fountain  issues  bitter  water,  the  stream 
must  of  necessity  be  impure. 

To  purify  the  language  of  our  young  people,  much  might  be 
done  in  the  associations  by  a  judicious  system  of  criticism  and  dis- 
cussion, at  stated  periods,  of  the  common  grammatical  errors  ob- 
served and  collected  by  the  members;  all  vulgarisms  or  inelegant 
expressions  might  be  treated  in  the  same  manner.  It  would  be 
necessary  to  carefully  avoid  any  personalities  that  would  be  liable 
to  give  offense.  Some  of  the  finest  forms  of  expression  of  the 
best  speakers  and  writers  might  be  selected,  brought  forward 
and  discussed,  that  a  love  for  the  beautiful  in  language  may  be 


LANGUAGE  CULTURE.  191 

cultivated  and  a  desire  for  self-improvement  aroused  in  the  indi- 
viduals. 

A  habit  of  memorizing  gems  of  literature  should  be  encour- 
aged, that  a  taste  for  the  best  may  be  acquired,  when  the  profan- 
ity and  vulgarity,  too  often  heard  among  the  youth,  will  die  out, 
being  displaced  by  the  better;  and  our  young  people  will  soon 
realize  with  the  poet,  that 

Immodest  words  admit  of  no  defense, 
For  want  of  modesty  is  want  of  sense. 

Such  work  would  be  especially  valuable  as  a  preparation  for 
service  in  the  mission  field.  Although  it  is  not  always  the  ed- 
ucated that  make  the  best  missionaries,  still  education,  especially 
power  in  the  use  of  language,  will  contribute  much  to  the  efl^- 
ciency  of  a  speaker,  provided  it  be  accompanied  by  faith,  integrity 
and  devotion  to  the  work. 

It  is  hard  for  a  man  who  betrays  ignorance  in  his  language,, 
to  get  a  hearing  with  educated  people,  no  matter  how  well  he  may 
be  informed  on  the  principles  he  has  to  present. 

In  the  past,  the  Gospel  has  been  preached  to  the  poor  gener- 
ally, but  it  is  to  be  preached  to  "every  creature,"  and,  as  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints  become  better  known,  there  will  be  a  greater  de- 
mand for  Elders  among  the  wealthy  and  educated  classes.  We 
need  effectually  to  refute  the  charge  of  ignorance  that  has  so 
universally  been  brought  against  us. 

The  elders  go  forth  full  of  faith,  confident  that  they  have 
principles  to  present  to  the  world,  the  purest,  the  best  and  the 
most  important  that  have  been  promulgated  for  over  eighteen 
centuries;  then,  why  are  not  such  glorious  truths  eminently  worthy 
of  being  clothed  in  the  purest,  the  best  and  the  most  expressive 
forms  afforded  by  the  English  language,  which  has  culled  from 
many  languages  their  best  and  most  expressive  words  and  phrases? 


THE  TESTIMONY  OF  GOD. 


BY  ELDER  HENRY  W.  NAISBITT. 


True  theology  is  the  science  of  eternal  life,  because  it  includes 
the  knowledge  of  God  and  man;  and  it  implies  a  knowledge  of  the 
first,  through  his  representative,  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  the  latter,  by 
unlimited  experience. 

"This  is  life  eternal,"  said  the  Savior,  "that  they  might  know 
thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent." 
Few  possess  this  knowledge,  and  those  to  whom  it  is  given,  are  few 
and  far  between.  In  them,  that  knowledge  has  been  of  gradual 
growth;  it  is  not  the  product  of  a  day,  or  year,  but  it  is  cumulative, 
coming  by  observation,  by  experience,  and  by  inspiration.  Even 
to  the  wisest  and  most  sanctified  on  earth,  it  must  be  a  progressive 
and,  therefore,  imperfect,  or  incomplete  knowledge. 

There  is  one  feature  which  is  very  common  among  the  ex- 
pressions used  by  the  Latter-day  Saints,  both  by  the  laity  and  the 
Priesthood,  and  it  is  the  expression  of  testimony  which  they  claim 
to  have.  Almost  universally,  every  one  bears  his  testimony;  but 
there  are  differences  in  the  midst  of  similarity;  there  is  a  meaning 
to  one  which  does  not  apply  to  another.  There  is  unity,  but  variety 
and  a  breadth  of  meaning,  a  depth  of  realization,  in  the  hearts  of 
the  experienced,  to  which  the  early  convert  is  a  stranger;  and 
curiously  enough,  the  outer  testimony  which  gives  joy  and  satis- 
faction to  one,  is  less  appreciated  by  another. 

In  almost  every  meeting,  almost  every  speaker  hints  at  or  ex- 
presses diversity  as  to  testimony.  The  preaching  of  the  word 
affects  individuals  differently.    The  mental  and  spiritual  faculties 


THE  TESTIMONY  OF  GOD.  193 

apprehend  differently,  as  expressed  by  Paul,  "To  one  is  given  by 
the  Spirit,  the  word  of  wisdom;  to  another  the  gift  of  knowledge, 
to  another  faith,  to  another  the  gifts  of  healing,  to  another  the 
working  of  miracles,  to  another  prophecy,  to  another  discerning  of 
spirits,  to  another  divers  kinds  of  tongues,  to  another  the  interpre- 
tation of  tongues,"  as  if  these  outer  workings  or  manifestations 
were  to  meet  the  varied  desires,  faith,  temperament,  and  organiza- 
tion of  individual  believers,  for  the  instances  are  surely  rare  for 
any  one  person  to  enjoy  or  even  appreciate  the  whole! 

Observation  points  out  this  diversity.  Persons  have  coveted, 
prayed  for,  had  these  special  gifts — they  have  constituted  their 
testimony;  to  these  they  refer  in  public,  over  them  they  rejoice  in 
private;  and  while  others  have  preferred  testimony  of  another  kind, 
more  in  harmony  with  themselves,  they  have  rejoiced  in  the  mani- 
festations possessed  by  another. 

The  query  has  often  been  in  our  hearts,  when  listening  to 
testimony,  in  open  meeting:  how  far  does  that  testimony  extend? 
While  it  may  be  sufficient  for  the  individual,  what  are  its  limits? 
Is  it  confined  to  the  expression  used?  Is  it  bounded  by  that  thought 
or  that  experience?  When  testimony  is  based  upon  the  manifesta- 
tion of  healing,  is  it  satisfied  to  remain  there?  When  testimony 
in  regard  to  the  Gospel  and  its  truths  is  simply  based  upon  fidelity 
to  scriptural  injunction,  upon  assumed  or  real  similarity  of  Church 
organization,  is  that  a  sufficient  basis  for  the  acceptance  of  thought 
or  change  of  sentiment?  Will  such  testimony  stand  the  sneers  and 
ridicule  of  mankind?  Have  the  allurements  of  gathering,  of  change 
of  scene  or  occupation,  moulded  the  testimony  of  the  believer?  Or 
is  testimony  graduated  and  developed  by  the  reception  of  each 
succeeding  truth  or  principle?  Is  it  needful  for  one  to  refer  to 
something  occurring  years  ago  for  a  demonstration  of  truth?  When 
one  testifies  that  he  or  she  knows  that  the  Gospel  is  true,  does  it 
refer  to  the  general  revealment,  or  to  single  principles,  and  would 
additional  revelation  bring  additional  testimony?  Or,  is  there 
not  additional  testimony  guaranteed  on  the  reception  of  all  ad- 
vanced truth?  Will  the  testimony  that  God  lives,  given  through 
answer  to  prayer,  become  testimony  to  tithing,  to  gathering,  to 
temple-building,  to  the  sealing  ordinances,  to  the  certainty  of  a 
Tesurrection  to  eternal  life? 


194  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Is  a  general  testimony  sufficient  to  give  stability,  or  shall  the 
revealing  spirit  be  sought  for  to  bear  record  of  all  other  truths,  as 
they  may  come  from  time  to  time?  If  healings  are  assumed  to  be 
the  only  testimony  required  for  receiving  persons  or  systems,  then 
we  should  have  to  receive  the  Catholic  church,  the  Wesleyan 
church,  the  Josephite  church.  Even  heathen  religionists,  and  non- 
religionists,  can  boast  of  manifestations  -  such  as  these.  If  our 
standard  of  judgment  is  based  on  prophetic  utterances  alone,  how 
many  pretenders  and  non-pretenders  would  claim  our  faith  ?  If  to 
have  apostles  is  alone  our  guide,  the  Irvingites,  Josephites,  and 
others,  could  claim  our  confidence!  If  to  be  severely  tenacious  of 
the  word  of  wisdom  is  to  captivate  us,  who  so  strenuous  as  the 
Reverend  Dowie?  If  the  assumption  of  authority  is  our  great 
sheet-anchor,  who  so  decided  as  the  representatives  of  the  mother 
church?  If  the  claim  to  revelation  is  to  guide  us,  what  shall  we 
say  to  the  affirmation  of  spiritualistic  mediums  and  the  claims  of 
Swedenborg?  And  as  to  trance,  healing,  writing,  revealing  medi- 
ums, are  not  their  name  legion?  and  can  human  discrimination 
alone,  or  segregated  truth  alone,guideus,thenare  we  left  to  "every 
wind  of  doctrine,  whereby  men  lie  in  waite  to  deceive." 

Enoch  had  this  testimony  before  his  translation,  "that  he 
pleased  God,"  and  it  seems  in  no  way  irrational,  but  rather  deeply 
philosophical,  that  all  reception  of  divine  knowledge,  all  obedience 
to  divine  law  and  commandment,  should  bring  its  own  special  testi- 
mony, although  the  whole  may  be  the  product  of  the  same  Spirit. 
The  testimony  had  by  the  exercise  of  faith,  or  the  earnestness  of 
repentance  is  one,  and  the  testimony  that  sins  are  remitted  by  bap- 
tism is  another.  The  power  and  manifestation  of  the  working  of 
that  Spirit,  which  is  given  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  is  one  thing, 
and  the  testimony  which  recognizes  the  propriety  and  blessing  of 
personal  tithing  is  surely  another.  That  testimony  which  comes 
from  cumulative  obedience  and  which  demonstrates  the  restoration 
of  the  Gospel  as  a  whole,  can  never  be  received  to  testify 
to  Catholicism,  as  a  whole,  or  to  Wesleyanism,  Calvinism,  Lu- 
theranism,  or  any  other  "ism,"  as  a  whole.  It  can  never  be 
realized,  for  God  hath  not  appointed  them.  Albeit,  these  may 
bring  a  measure  of  comfort,  enjoyment,  satisfaction,  and  blessing,, 
flowing  from  truths  associated  with  every  church,  and  outside  all 


THE  TESTIMONY  OF  GOD.  195 

churches,  when  men  live  up  to  the  best  light  which  they  possess. 
So  that  the  Latter-day  Saint — one  who  is  always  in  the  line  of  his 
duty — becomes  a  living  epistle;  he  carries  continuously  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus;  he  comprehends  all  revelation  as  part  of  one  great 
system  or  science,  established  for  an  express  purpose.  He  grows 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth;  every  step  becomes  of  value;  every 
ordinance,  of  importance.  Every  principle  is  a  necessary  result  of 
its  predecessor;  and  the  Latter-day  Saint  sets  no  limit  to  the  re- 
ception or  application  of  truth;  it  is  eternal;  it  is  his  heritage.  He 
does  not  avoid,  but  he  reaches  out  after  it.  He  is  always  strug- 
gling that  he  may  apprehend  that  for  which  he  is  apprehended  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  all  truth  belongs  to  the  Saints;  it 
is  their  heritage.  They  are  not  yet  in  possession  of  it,  but  the 
promise  is  theirs.  The  keys  are  in  their  possession,  and  all  the 
eternities  will  become  tributary  to  continuous  realization,  here  a  lit- 
tle and  there  a  little — cumulative,  progressive,  practical  and  predes- 
tined, "all  things  are  yours,  for  ye  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's." 

Sectarianism  can  be  bounded,  its  circumference  is  defined,  its 
limits  are  known,  and  the  essential  spirit  thereof  is  to  ignore  and 
reject  all  further  light.  The  true  disciple,  enlightened,  peers  into 
the  mystery  of  God;  his  orbit  is  expanding;  the  circuit  of  his  men- 
tal powers,  and  his  spiritual  activities  are  as  wide  as  the  eternities. 
They  include  all  "the  fullness  of  God."  Every  problem  of  life  and 
being  will  find  ultimate  solution,  and  bring  with  it  assuredly  "the 
testimony  of  God"  by  the  power  of  his  Holy  Spirit  and  the  anoint- 
ing wherewith  he  has  been  anointed! 

Can  more  be  asked  for,  expected,or  enjoyed  "while  life,  or 
thought,  or  being,  lasts,  or  immortality  endures?" 


LIEBIG  AND  LA  WES. 


AN  END-OF-THE-CENTURY  NOTE. 

BY   DR.   JOHN   A.    WIDTSOE,    DIRECTOR  EXPERIMENT   STATION,    UTAH 
STATE  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 


The  death  roll  of  last  August  included  the  name  of  Sir  John 
Bennett  Lawes,  of  the  manor  of  Rothamsted,  near  London,  in  Eng- 
land. The  passing  away  of  this  stately  old  man,  recalls  vividly  a 
chapter  in  the  history  of  this  century,  which  for  brilliancy  in  re- 
sults, or  value  to  man,  has  not  been  surpassed.  On  the  eve  of  this 
century,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  work  with  which  Sir  John  B. 
Lawes  was  associated  for  sixty  years,  will  be  one  of  the  main  bur- 
dens of  the  coming  century,  and  one  of  its  chief  glories. 

This  century,  the  nineteenth  after  Christ,  is  remarkable. for  its 
going  back  to  the  study  of  first  principles,  and  primary  laws.  First 
commands  have  been  sought  out,  studied  and  obeyed.  The  great 
minds  of  the  world  have  busied  themselves  with  the  things  of  com- 
mon life.  There  have  been  times  in  the  history  of  man,  when  great- 
ness consisted  in  dealing  with  things  afar  off;  when  astronomy  was 
greater  than  botany,  for  the  reason  that  the  stars  were  set  in  the 
sky  and  out  of  man's  reach,  while  fragrant  flowers  crept  up  to  his 
side,  without  his  bidding.  But  the  notion  of  greatness  improves 
from  century  to  century,  and  the  wise  ones  of  this  age  have  held, 
and  hold,  that  to  know  the  things  of  every  day  life  is  knowledge 
of  the  highest  worth. 

Among  the  first  commands  that  God  gave  to  man  was  that  to 


LIEBIG  AND  LAWES.  197 

till  the  ground.  Man  obeyed  it— how  intelligently  in  the  begin- 
ning we  know  not— but  as  time  passed  on,  it  became  an  unspoken 
fact,  that  only  minds  of  a  low  order,  of  little  intelligence,  and  less 
ambition,  engaged  in  the  tillage  of  the  soil.  It  became  a  practice, 
built  upon  "rules  of  thumb,"  in  which  nature  was  the  master,  and 
man  the  servant.  During  the  great  awakening,  amidst  which  this 
century  was  ushered  in,  it  became  evident  to  many  great  thinkers, 
that  this  order  of  things  was  wrong.  Man  should  be  the  master; 
nature,  the  servant.  The  great  art  of  soil  tillage,  on  which  the 
welfare  of  mankind  rests,  in  the  last  analysis,  should  be  backed 
and  supported  by  intelligence;  should  be  dignified  by  a  place  among 
the  great  systems  of  knowledge. 

Therefore,  the  students  of  nature  set  to  work  to  learn  the 
reasons  why  different  treatments  were  applied  to  the  soil;  to  learn 
how  plants  fed  and  lived,  and  the  actual  relation  that  is  sustained 
between  plants  and  animals.  They  worked  with  vigor,  and  it  was 
soon  discovered  that  good  crops  and  fair  yields  could  be  obtained 
in  spite  of  the  weather.  Many  bright  men  devoted  much  time  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  last  century,  and  in  the  early  part  of  this, 
to  experiments  upon  the  results  of  which  it  was  hoped  to  build  a 
system  of  rational  agriculture,  in  which  nature  would  be  compelled 
to  bend  to  the  intelligent  will  of  man.  Success  came  slowly,  only 
near  the  middle  of  the  century  could  it  be  said  that  soil  tillage  for 
the  production  of  plants  had  been  placed  on  a  secure  foundation 
of  experimental  results. 

In  the  making  of  modern  agriculture,  many  men  were  promi- 
nent, but  no  other  two  stand  out  so  prominently  as  the  German 
chemist,  Justus  von  Liebig,  and  the  English  landlord.  Sir  John  Ben- 
nett Lawes.  While  we  are  rejoicing,  at  the  end  of  this  century, 
because  of  the  marvelous  strides  in  the  advancement  of  mankind, 
shall  we  not  stop  and  give  brief  honor  to  the  men  who  labored  long 
to  make  our  progress  possible? 

Justus  von  Liebig  was  born  in  the  year  1803,  in  the  German 
city  of  Darmstadt.  From  his  earliest  boyhood,  he  delighted  in  the 
work  of  the  chemist.  Experimentation  was  his  life;  and  history  has 
it,  that  his  lessons  were  often  neglected  for  the  pleasure  of  hours 
spent  among  the  chemicals  and  apparatus  which  he  had  collected 
in  an  up-stair  room  of  his  home.    As  a  boy,  he  declared  he  would 


198  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

be  a  chemist;  though  at  that  time  chemistry  was  young,  and  few 
men  thought  of  following  it  as  a  profession.  Liebig  had  his  way, 
and  a  chemist  he  became.  He  studied  first  in  Germany,  then  in 
France.  In  both  countries  he  made  valuable  discoveries,  so  that 
early  in  his  life  he  was  made  professor  of  chemistry  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Giessen.  Liebig  possessed  a  powerful  intellect;  he 
therefore  touched  on  many  branches  of  human  thought  in  his  work. 
As  a  founder  of  modern  methods  of  science-teaching,  he  will  ever 
be  remembered;  as  a  discoverer  in  the  domain  of  pure  science,  he 
has  a  firm  position;  as  an  investigator  in  the  science  of  physiology, 
he  excelled  most  of  those  who  have  followed  him.  It  is,  however, 
as  the  father  of  modern  agriculture  that  Liebig  will  be  remembered 
down  to  the  last  day,  when  the  last  grain  shall  be  taken  from  the 
ground.  Early  in  his  life,  he  saw,  with  an  insight  almost  prophetic, 
the  necessity  of  placing  the  art  of  farming  on  a  scientific  basis; 
and,  with  untiring  devotion,  he  forsook  all  other  studies,  to  conse- 
crate himself  to  the  advancement  of  the  most  fundamental  of  the 
arts. 

In  his  day,  many  facts  relating  to  plant  and  animal  life  were 
known,but  their  connection  was  wholly  misunderstood.  It  was  known 
that  plants  contain  much  carbon  or  charcoal,  but  it  was  thought 
that  the  carbon  was  taken  from  the  humus,  or  decaying  plants  or 
manure,  in  the  soil.  Liebig's  first  work  was  to  show  that  this 
theory  was  erroneous.  It  had  been  discovered  many  years  earlier 
that  the  leaves  of  plants  had  the  power  to  decompose  the  gas  car- 
bon dioxide  found  in  the  air,  and  to  retain  the  carbon  thus  ob- 
tained; but  it  had  occurred  to  none  that  all  the  carbon  which  plants 
contain  was  taken  up  in  this  manner.  This,  Liebig  demonstrated. 
He  grew  various  plants  on  sand  containing  mineral  fertilizers,  and 
obtained  large,  healthy  plants.  The  sands  contain  no  humus,  or 
other  vegetable  or  animal  remains,  so  that  the  plants  must  of 
necessity  have  obtained  their  carbon  from  the  air.  The  proof  of 
the  true  nature  of  the  carbon  assimilation  of  plants,  overthrew 
the  theories  of  plant-feeding  that  were  current  in  those  days. 

At  this  time,  too,  (about  1830-1840)  it  was  known  that  all 
plants  when  burned  leave  behind  a  small  quantity  of  ash.  It  was 
thought  that  the  ash  in  plants  was  accidental  and  of  no  particular 
value.    Some  even  thought  that  the  ash  was  created  by  the  plant; 


LIEBIG  AND  LAWES.  199 

a  learned  society  in  Berlin  once  gave  a  prize  to  a  man  for  proving 
this  to  be  so.  Liebig  proved  by  his  experiments  that  all  this  was 
false.  He  found  that  plants  require  certain  mineral  substances 
as  foods,  and  that  the  vegetable  world  cannot  exist  on  soils  that 
are  deficient  in  any  one  of  the  necessary  plant  foods.  The  results 
of  the  latest  science  teach  that  the  following  substances  must  be 
contained  in  a  soil  to  enable  plants  to  grow  in  it:  1,  potash;  2, 
iron;  3,  lime;  4,  nitric  acid;  5,  phosphoric  acid.  If  any  one  of 
these  is  absent,  plant  growth  will  be  impossible.  He  further 
demonstrated  that  every  whit  of  ash  contained  in  plants  comes 
from  the  soil,  and,  under  normal  conditions,  from  the  soil  only.  In 
these  facts,  the  nature  of  the  fertility  of  soils  was  explained,  as 
well  as  the  true  nature  of  plant  feeding.  Plants  in  their  growth 
take  certain  substances  from  the  ground;  many  crops  take  away 
much  of  these  substances.  In  time,  most  of  the  plant-foods  will 
have  been  used  up,  and  the  soil  is  made  infertile.  To  fertilize  such 
a  soil,  the  ingredients  which  have  been  taken  away  must  be  given 
back.  Thus  the  theory  of  manuring  and  fertilization  was  developed. 
This,  in  its  most  barren  outlines,  is  the  foundation  upon  which 
modern  rational  agriculture  rests.  It  seems  self-evident  to  us  of 
this  day;  but  many  gifted  minds,  together  with  the  incomparable 
genius  of  Liebig,  contributed  to  make  it. 

The  theory  of  plant-feeding  as  first  outlined  was  proposed 
about  1840.  Following  up  these  fundamental  discoveries,  Liebig 
investigated  in  a  more  or  less  thorough  manner  almost  every  ques- 
tion which,  up  to  that  date,  had  arisen  in  the  practice  of  plant 
culture.  He  devoted  much  time,  also,  to  the  nature  of  animal 
physiology.  He  made  remarkable  discoveries  in  every  field  in  which 
he  worked,  and,  to  his  honor  be  it  said,  he  attempted  to  apply  all 
his  discoveries  to  the  benefit  of  mankind.  Even,  today,  his  name 
is  current  in  commerce,  in  the  Liebig  meat  extracts  that  he  first 
made.  He  was  a  gifted  speaker  and  writer;  and  he  popularized 
chemistry  in  books  written  for  the  masses.  The  world  acknowl- 
edged his  great  power,  and  his  greater  achievements.  From  every 
country  on  the  globe  came  honor  to  the  man  who  had  made  his 
intelligence  bear  on  the  art  of  Adam;  degrees,  medals  and  other 
distinctions,  came  to  him,  in  scores.  He  was  given  a  Baron's  title, 
and  the  privilege  of  nobility  was  allowed  to  descend  to  his  poster- 


200  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

ity.  Still  strong  of  spirit  and  full  of  queries,  but  feeble  of  body, 
he  died  on  the  18th  of  April,  1873.  The  world  of  science  honors 
him  as  one  of  the  greatest  spirits  of  the  century.  Let  us  honor 
his  memory,  too,  for  he  served  all  humanity  by  his  efforts. 

Sir  John  Bennett  Lawes  was  born  in  1814.  He  was  descended 
from  an  ancient  and  wealthy  family.  When  he  was  eight  years 
old,  his  father  died,  and  left  him  the  owner  of  the  historic  manor 
of  Rothamsted,  with  its  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  which 
the  young  possessor  was  destined  to  make  the  most  famous  farm 
in  the  world.  From  early  boyhood,  like  Baron  Liebig,  young  Lawes 
evinced  a  strong  taste  for  science,  and  especially  for  chemistry. 
One  of  the  first  things  he  did  on  arriving  at  his  majority  was  ta 
order  a  complete  chemical  laboratory  from  a  London  firm,  and  to 
have  it  installed  in  onp  of  the  spare  bedrooms  of  his  ancestral 
home.  A  little  later,  he  began  investigations  on  the  growth  of 
useful  plants;  and  particularly,  studies  on  the  best  methods  of  in- 
creasing the  yields  of  crops  on  land  that  had  been  worn  out  by  long^ 
cropping.  The  new  ideas  advanced  by  Liebig,  that  plants  feed 
from  the  soil,  took  hold  of  him,  and  he  began  to  feed  his  crops  by 
adding  to  the  soils  of  his  farm  such  ingredients  as  he  thought 
were  lacking.  Marvelous  results  seemed  to  follow  his  experiments, 
and  before  he  knew  it,  a  large  portion  of  the  estate  had  been  con- 
verted into  an  experimental  farm  where  the  influence  of  different 
manures  on  various  plants  was  being  studied.  About  this  time,  he 
sought  for  a  chemist  who  could  assist  him  in  the  analysis  of  man- 
ures, soils  and  plants.  As  Providence  directed,  he  found  a  young 
man,  fresh  from  Liebig's  laboratory,  finely  trained,  and  full  of  en- 
thusiasm for  the  coming  agriculture.  This  was  Dr.  J.  H.  Gilbert, 
and  from  that  time  (1843)  until  the  death  of  Lawes,  in  last  Sep- 
tember, these  two  men  worked  together,  patiently  and  consistently 
for  the  advancement  of  farming.  During  those  fifty-seven  years, 
their  published  work  includes  hundreds  of  papers,  most  of  which 
bear  the  two  names  of  Lawes  and  Gilbert.  Today,  it  is  impossible 
to  know  who  did  this  part  or  the  other  of  the  work.  We  only 
know  that  Lawes  was  full  of  ideas,  anxious  to  test  them  and  rather 
impatient  of  delay;  while  Gilbert  was  cautious,  accurate,  and  un- 
willing to  take  up  new  problems  while  the  old  ones  were  unsolved. 
They  balanced  each  other  perfectly,  and  the  splendid  results  of  the 


LIEBIG  AND  LAWES.  201 

Rothamsted  Experiment  Station  are  largely  due  to  the  friendly 
collaboration  of  these  two  gifted  minds. 

The  chief  work  and  the  most  important  results  of  the  labors 
of  Lawes  and  Gilbert  are  those  that  pertain  to  the  nature  of  plant 
feeding.  On  one  field,  wheat  has  now  been  grown  continuously  for 
fifty-seven  years  without  manure.  During  this  time  an  average 
yield  of  nearly  thirteen  bushels  to  the  acre  has  been  obtained.  On 
other  fields,  the  effect  of  different  fertilizers  on  wheat  has  been 
noted.  Similar  experiments  have  been  carried  on  with  barley,  oats, 
beans,  peas,  potatoes,  beets,  grasses,  etc.  The  results  of  these 
long  continued  experiments  have  taught,  with  great  clearness,, 
what  plant  foods  are  especially  required  by  different  crops,  and 
which  should  therefore  be  added  to  the  soil  for  the  well  being  of 
any  particular  plant. 

When  Lawes  began  his  experiments,  there  was  a  meadow  on 
his  farm,  which  had  not  been  interfered  with  for  several  hundred 
years.  The  grasses  growing  there  were  those  that  flourished 
naturally  under  the  existing  conditions.  This  meadow  was  laid  out 
in  long  strips,  and  a  few  pounds  of  fertilizers,  different  for  each 
strip,  were  scattered  over  the  ground.  In  a  few  years  marked  re- 
sults were  obtained.  The  different  strips  began  to  carry  different 
kinds  of  plants,  according  to  the  manure  used.  The  plants  that 
required  most  potash  preponderated  on  the  strips  fertilized  with 
potash;  those  of  high  phosphoric  acid  requirements,  on  the  strips 
manured  with  phosphoric  acid,  and  so  on.  I  had  the  privilege  to 
view  this  field  in  late  June,  when  the  English  climate  was  at  its 
best.  Many  of  the  plants  of  the  meadow  were  in  bloom,  and 
marked  clearly  the  different  action  of  the  manures.  One  strip 
looked  bright  yellow  from  the  numberless  yellow  flowers  that  it 
carried;  another  was  blue  from  the  excess  of  blue  flowers;  still 
another  was  red,  and  so  on  over  the  whole  field.  The  lines  of  sepa- 
ration were  distinct,  and  followed  with  absolute  precision  the  lines 
of  the  different  fertilizers  used.  No  finer  proof  of  the  need  of 
different  plants  for  different  foods  exists  in  the  world  than  this 
meadow. 

The  work  of  Lawes  and  Gilbert  went  out  in  many  directions;^ 
and  many  of  the  results  have  become  the  commonplaces  of  mod- 
ern farming.    The  experiment  station  system,  so  finely  developed 


202  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

in  the  United  States,  is  partly  due  to  the  success  of  the  Rotham- 
sted  Experiment  Station.  Lawes  was  also  gifted  with  a  strong 
commercial  insight,  and  his  factories  for  the  production  of  artifical 
fertilizers  are  among  the  largest  in  Great  Britain.  The  wealth 
which  he  thus  acquired  has  been  used  for  the  welfare  of  mankind, 
for  the  living  and  for  generations  to  come. 

About  eleven  years  ago,  Lawes  deeded  his  famous  experi- 
mental fields,  and  gave  besides  $500,000  to  a  committee  which  is 
to  carry  on  the  work  so  well  begun. 

Honors  have  come  in  rich  abundance  to  these  men.  Both  have 
been  knighted;  and  Sir  Lawes  has  been  created  a  baronet.  They 
have  lived  far  beyond  the  allotted  time  of  man;  the  Lord  has  blessed 
them  greatly.  Sir  J.  B.  Lawes  died  four  months  ago;  soon  his 
name  will  be  only  a  memory.  Sir  J.  H.  Gilbert  is  still  living,  but 
under  the  weight  of  eighty- four  years;  he,  too,  will  soon  pass  away. 
But  the  work  of  these  men  and  that  of  Liebig,  will  live  forever,  and 
cry  out  of  the  dust  to  him  who  must  "earn  his  bread  in  the  sweat 
of  his  brow." 

Honor  be  to  all  the  great  dead,  who  used  the  lives  they  held  in 
trust,  with  a  singleness  of  purpose,  for  the  achievement  of  noble 
deeds. 


A  TESTIMONY  OF  GOD  AND  OF  THE  DI- 
VINITY OF  THE  CHURCH. 

BY  PROFESSOR  W.  H.  CHAMBERLIN,  OF  THE  BRIGHAM  YOUNG  COLLEGE, 

LOGAN,  UTAH. 


I  shall  never  forget  the  day  in  which  I  received  what  seems 
to  me  the  strongest  witness  I  have  ever  had,  or  perhaps  could 
have,  in  regard  to  the  existence  of  God  and  the  divinity  of  The 
Church  of  Christ.  This  witness  came  to  me  just  two  years  to  the 
day  from  the  time  I  first  set  foot  on  the  islands  of  the  sea,  as  a 
servant  of  our  Lord.  Before  entering  the  missionary  field,  I  had 
read  much,  and  had  had  many  experiences  which  satisfied  me  that 
our  people  had  the  truth.  I  had  evidence  which  sufiiced  for  my 
daily  walk,  in  the  midst  of  a  people  full  of  faith,  and  under  cir- 
cumstances which  rarely  brought  trial  in  my  way. 

But  things  were  far  different  out  in  the  world.  Trials  of 
faith  of  a  new  character  often  came  to  me,  and  I  had  to  teach  the 
doctrine  of  Christ  to  those  who  had  been  trained  in  another  gos- 
pel. In  conversing  with  such,  I  could  only  compare  their  notions 
with  the  truth  the  scriptures  teach,  and  earnestly  speak  of  my 
own  convictions.  But  I  could  not  speak  with  the  confidence  of 
one  having  authority;  and  often,  in  my  reflections,  the  cold,  and 
dreadful  thought  that  I  might  be  teaching  that  which  is  untrue 
would  creep  in  and  chill  me.  The  idea  that  I  might  be  helping  to 
perpetuate  an  imposition  on  the  deepest  feelings  of  poor  humanity, 
on  those  I  had  forsaken  all  to  enlighten,  and  whom,  in  many  an 
exalted  moment?  I  loved  with  a  love  that  could  only  have  been  born 
of  Heaven,  was,  at  times,  very  uncomfortable. 


204:  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Impelled  by  such  feelings,  as  well  as  by  a  desire  to  be  what  I 
was  really  sent  out  to  be,  a  special  witness  of  the  Lord  and  the 
truth,  I  reflected  upon  such  criteria  of  truth  as  I  knew,  and 
decided  as  well  as  I  could  upon  what  would  be  the  most  perfect 
witness  of  the  truth  one  can  receive,  and,  thereafter,  I  sought  the 
Lord  earnestly  and  often  with  fasting  for  this  witness. 

For  months,  I  sought  for  this  blessing,  and  strove  to  make 
myself  worthy  of  it.  All  this  time,  I  performed  my  duties,  sin- 
cerely believing  that  I  was  right,  and  that  our  labors  would  result 
in  good.  At  length,  a  time  came  when  I  was  asked,  point  blank, 
if  I  knew  that  I  was  engaged  in  the  true  work  of  God.  I  had  to 
confess  I  did  not,  and  left  the  person  with  whom  I  was  convers- 
ing, and  I  felt  bad  and  ashamed,  too,  that  I  did  not  stand  on  a 
firmer  footing,  for  I  believed  that  there  was  such  a  footing,  and 
that  I  ought  to  be  standing  upon  it. 

I  now  determined  to  seek  more  earnestly  than  ever  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth.  The  morning  after  the  above  conversation,  I 
felt  so  depressed  that  I  could  hardly  go  out  to  teach.  I  was  on 
the  island  of  Tahiti,  at  the  time,  and  it  was  our  custom  to  go  out 
each  morning,  call  upon  the  natives,  and  seek  to  converse  with 
them  on  the  Gospel.  That  morning,  I  went  out  fasting,  but  with 
no  energy  for  the  work.  I  felt  an  unearthly  depression.  So,, 
instead  of  calling  on  anyone  that  day,  I  turned  aside,  and,  going 
into  a  grove  of  palm  trees,  I  gave  myself  to  intense  prayer  for  a. 
witness.     Not  being  successful,  I  decided  to  continue  fasting. 

The  next  day,  I  sought  an  accustomed  place  of  prayer.  It 
was  a  beautiful  opening  in  the  luxuriant  tropical  vegetation,  and 
it  lay  by  the  side  of  a  crystal  stream  flowing  down  the  canyon  at 
whose  entrance  is  our  mission  home.  There  I  knelt,  and  as  I  began 
to  appeal  once  more  to  the  Lord  for  knowledge,  my  soul  was- 
filled  with  light,  darkness  fled,  and  a  profound  feeling  of  mingling, 
peace  and  joy  welled  up  within  me,  together  with  such  a  feeling 
of  devotion  to  an  Almighty  Power  that  no  possible  doubt  of  his 
existence  could  be  entertained,  nor  of  a  marvelous  answer  to  my 
prayer.  With  such  profound  feelings  as  I  then  had,  I  could  not 
doubt  that  all  the  forces  of  nature,  seen  and  unseen,  would  sup- 
port the  thoughts  or  truths  that  were  wrapped,  as  it  were,  within, 
them. 


DIVINITY  OF  THE  CHURCH.  205 

While  filled  with  that  spirit,  my  mind  was  led  to  reflect  upon 
my  mortal  weaknesses,  and  I  felt  the  strangest  sorrow,  for,  with 
it,  were  hope  and  peace  and  a  feeling  of  assurance  that  a  Being  of 
perfect  love  had  forgiven  past  transgressions.  Glimpses  of  our 
Father's  love  were  given  me  such  as  no  scripture  had  ever 
imparted.  My  duty  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  natives  was 
shown  to  me,  and,  in  thinking  of  their  lack  of  interest  in  our  mes- 
sage, I  had  also  presented  to  me  the  charity  that  God  would  have 
for  them.  Finally,  I  was  led  to  compare  the  transcendent  joys  of 
the  Spirit,  the  rich  heritage  of  all  who  devote  themselves  to  God, 
with  those  arising  in  the  pursuit  of  any  earthly  thing.  The  mani- 
festation now  ceased,  and  the  cold  feelings  of  life  took  the  place 
of  the  heaven  which  had  been  in  my  heart. 

I  know  the  intense  pleasure  which  comes  when,  after  many 
hours  of  earnest  effort,  one  reaches  a  correct  solution  to  a  mathe- 
matical problem.  I  once  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  Yellowstone, 
my  heart  filled  with  emotions  of  beauty,  as  the  waters  of  a  great 
river  plunged  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  and  burst  in  clouds  of 
spray,  in  the  canyon  below.  I  know  the  feeling  that  comes  to  one 
who,  having  struggled  for  hours  along  the  steep  mountain's  side, 
has  reached  the  summit,  and  suddenly  beholds  the  yawning  chasms 
and  rugged  peaks  about  him,  with  beyond,  and  far  below,  a  great 
valley  and  island-begemmed  lake.  But  all  such  feelings  are  com- 
monplace when  compared  with  the  happiness  I  experienced  during 
the  moments  when  I  received  the  above  testimony. 

Having  received  the  desired  witness,  I,  before  the  proper  per- 
sons, often  spoke  of  the  truth  with  a  power  and  effect  which  sur- 
prised me.  Since  that  time,  I  have  had  some  trials,  and  have 
passed  through  hours  of  darkness,  and  even  of  doubt;  but  in  the 
darkest  hours,  the  remembrance  of  the  above-mentioned  manifes- 
tation has  never  failed  to  dispel  evil,  and  restore  faith  and  peace 
to  my  mind. 


SOME  LEADING  EVENTS  IN  THE  CURRENT 
STORY  OF  THE  WORLD. 


BY  DR.  J.  M.  TANNER. 


President  Kfwger  in  France* 

The  latter  part  of  November,  the  steamship  Gelderland,  arrived 
from  Lourenco  Marqiies,at  Marseilles,  in  southern  France,and  landed 
President  Kruger,  of  the  Transvaal,  at  a  French  port.  The  French 
were  informed  of  Mr.  Kruger's  intended  destination,  and  were 
therefore  eagerly  awaiting  his  arrival.  The  extinction  of  the 
Transvaal  Republic  in  the  present  state  of  war  in  South  Africa,  has 
not  been  generally  recognized  by  the  nations  of  the  earth,  because 
war  in  that  country  still  continues,  and  this  fact  gave  France  a 
legal  right  by  international  law  to  receive  the  president  of  the  re- 
public in  a  way  befitting  a  man  occupying  that  station  in  life.  Of 
course,  behind  the  demonstrations  which  President  Kruger  received, 
was  the  almost  universal  interpretation  that  the  grand  and  dis- 
tinguished respect  given  to  Kruger,  was  not  because  France  loved 
Kruger  more,  but  because  she  loved  England  less.  France  has  per- 
haps not  been  so  delirious  with  excitement  since  the  days  of  her 
chauvinism  aroused  by  her  military  hero,  the  notorious  Boulanger. 

Marseilles  went  suddenly  wild  with  excitement,  shouting  "Vive 
Kruger."  Upon  leaving  Marseilles,  the  seaport,  the  reception  ten- 
dered the  Transvaal  president,  was  one  continuous  ovation  through 
the  important  towns  of  central  France,  in  which  the  president 
would  necessarily  pass  on  his  way  to  Paris.  In  some  instances, 
the  feeling  became  so  unbounded  that  frequent  expressions  of  "A 
bas  I'Angleterre"  (down  with  England),  could  be  distinctly  heard. 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  207 

In  order,  however,  that  England  might  have  no  distinct  pretext  for 
a  protest,  the  chief  of  police,  in  the  city  of  Paris,  issued  orders 
that  anyone  crying,  "Down  with  England,"  would  be  arrested.  The 
populace  was  at  liberty  to  be  as  demonstrative  as  it  saw  fit  over 
its  interest  in  France's  distinguished  guest,  but  there  was  a  point  be- 
yond which  France  could  not  go  without  offering  offense  to  England, 
which  England  would  have  the  perfect  right  to  resent.  Upon 
the  arrival  of  Kruger  in  Paris,  he  made  an  official  call  upon  the 
president  of  the  republic,  Mr.  Loubet,  and  received  from  the  presi- 
dent of  the  French  republic  an  official  call  in  return.  During  all 
these  demonstrations,  England  was  perhaps  more  distinctly  in  the 
minds  of  the  French  than  Mr.  Kruger. 

The  English  press,  as  might  naturally  be  expected,  resented  this 
outburst  of  national  rejoicing  in  France  over  the  reception  given  to 
a  president  whose  people  were  at  war  with  England.  The  resent- 
ment, however,  was  expressed  most  generally  by  way  of  ridicule,  and 
some  dissertations  upon  the  delirious  character  of  the  French. 
Nothing  could  more  conclusively  prove  the  hostility  existing  on  the 
part  of  France  towards  England,  than  the  reception  given  to  Presi- 
dent Kruger.  The  universal  character  of  the  ovation  clearly  shows 
that  the  feelings  toward  England  were  not  confined  simply  to 
official  circles,  but  that  the  enmity  had  become  a  part  of  the  gen- 
eral feelings  of  the  French  people,  and  the  fact  that  the  French 
sought  to  make  this  reception  as  pronounced  as  possible,  clearly 
indicated  that  France  had  no  interests  which  she  considered  in  any 
way  common  to  those  of  England,  and,  therefore,  France  had  no 
reason  to  be  reserved  or  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  Great 
Britain. 

K.tugct  in  Germany. 

After  all  this  ado  had  been  made  over  President  Kruger  in 
France,  he  immediately  set  out  for  Germany,  going  directly  to 
Cologne.  Kruger  had  undoubtedly  expected  that  the  Germans 
would  manifest  similar  exultations  over  his  visit  to  their  country. 
Why  should  Kruger  not  expect  this?  The  German  press  had  been 
almost  universal  in  its  rejoicings  over  every  reverse  which  the  Eng- 
lish army  received  in  its  contest  with  thfe  Boers.    The  English  press 


208  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

had  been  universal  in  its  denunciations  of  the  British  diplomacy 
which  led  to  the  war.  Besides,  the  emperor  had  telegraphed  his 
congratulations  to  President  Kruger  when  the  Jameson  fiasco  was 
ignominiously  demonstrated.  President  Kruger,  however,  was  evi- 
dently not  up  on  current  events.  He  could  not  have  been  aware 
that  England  and  Germany  had  entered  into  an  agreement  concern- 
ing their  policy  in  China,  and  that  these  two  nations,  though  strange 
bed-fellows,  had  matters  of  national  concern  in  China,  which  were 
of  vastly  more  importance  to  Germany  than  the  affairs  of  the 
Transvaal.  Ever  since  the  close  of  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  there 
has  been  more  or  less  cause  for  irritation  between  Germany  and 
England.  They  have  found  little  or  nothing  in  common,  and  the 
feelings  of  criticism  and  resentment  have  frequently  been  of  the 
most  acute  character. 

When  President  Kruger  reached  Cologne,  he  was  informed 
that  the  emperor — of  course,  greatly  to  his  regret — would  be  un- 
able to  receive  the  distinguished  guest,  if  he  should  proceed  fur- 
ther eastward  to  Berlin,  the  capital  of  the  empire.  Germany  was 
not  in  a  position  to  give  offense  to  England.  The  two  countries 
found  themselves  confronted  in  China  by  a  common  foe — Russia. 
Their  united  strength  and  harmonious  effort  were  needed  to  thwart 
Russia's  ambitions  in  the  Orient. 

This  rebuff  to  the  president  of  the  Transvaal  republic  was  un- 
questionably as  much  of  a  chagrin  to  France  as  it  was  to  Kruger 
himself,  and  the  French  began  now  to  publish  Emperor  William's 
telegram  of  congratulations  to  President  Kruger,  and  sentiments 
of  the  German  press,  concerning  the  war  in  South  Africa.  But 
European  dimplomacy  is  not  devoid  of  quicksands,  and  shifts  posi- 
tions according  to  emergencies,  and  the  selfish  interests  of  the 
nations  involved.  Kruger  turned  at  once  and  made  his  way  to  the 
Hague.  In  the  inoffensive  and  neutral  Holland,  sovereigns  and  states- 
men in  distress,  or  in  bad  odor  with  their  country  or  other  coun- 
tries, always  find  a  refuge  of  safety.  Holland,  of  course,  would  re- 
frain from  all  manifestations  of  joy  or  exultation  except  those 
naturally  to  be  accorded  to  one  whose  ancestors  came  from  Hol- 
land, and  her  people  would  conduct  themselves,  upon  the  arrival  of 
Mr.  Kruger,  as  though  it  were  an  event  of  little  more  than  ordi- 
nary importance. 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  209 

The  ostensible  purpose  of  Mr.  Kruger's  visit  to  Europe,  is  for 
the  intercession  of  some  European  nation  in  the  interest  of  peace, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  Transvaal  to  maintain  her 
independence.  But,  after  all,  it  is  doubtful  whether  President 
Kruger  will  ever  return  to  his  beloved  republic.  The  conditions 
which  led  to  President  Kruger's  visit  are  not  given  out.  The  peo- 
ple of  the  Transvaal  have  kept  their  own  counsels,  and,  except  in 
a  merely  speculative  way,  we  are  not  told  whether  or  not  Kruger 
is  in  bon  rapport  with  the  people  of  his  country.  France  has  given 
him,  however,  the  assurance  that  she  can  lend  no  practical  assist- 
ance to  the  Transvaalers.  President  Kruger  must  have  known 
this  in  advance.  It  is  stated  that  he  will  visit  America,  and  it  is 
perhaps  true  that  he  will  remain  long  enough  away  from  his 
country  to  make  the  consideration  of  his  return  unnecessary.  In 
the  United  States,  President  Kruger  will  find  enough  anti-English 
demonstration  to  afford  him  some  diversion.  He  certainly  could 
not  offer  as  an  excuse  for  his  coming  to  America,  that  he  sought 
American  intervention,  for  our  national  government  has  already 
expressed  itself  emphatically  on  that  question. 

War  in  the  Transvaal. 

Recent  news  from  South  Africa  informs  us  that  General 
Dewet  has  captured  four  hundred  Englishmen  with  two  cannon  and 
a  considerable  amount  of  provisions  and  munitions  of  war.  This 
has  led  the  London  press  to  ask  whether  this  is  called  guerrilla 
warfare  or  whether  it  is  not  a  real  war.  When  the  character  of 
the  country  in  South  Africa,  in  which  the  Boer  remnant  are  now 
lodged,  is  understood,  the  difficulty  of  England's  efforts  to  dislodge 
them  will  be  more  generally  appreciated.  Had  England  realized 
the  enormous  expense  of  the  undertaking  in  South  Africa,  she  would 
undoubtedly  have  given  the  matter  more  thoughtful  deliberation 
than  was  evidently  given  to  the  question  when  war  actually  began. 
News  of  general  dissatisfaction  among  the  Boers  in  Cape  Colony 
has  been  circulated,  but  it  is  hardly  likely  that  they  will  resist  in 
that  colony  the  English  government.  This  would  not  be  an  oppor- 
tune time  for  the  Boers  in  Cape  Colony  to  rise  in  rebellion.  A 
large  English  army  is  too  near  at  hand.    It  would  be  unfortunate. 


21Q  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

however,  for  England  to  create  any  very  strong  feeling  of  dissatis- 
faction among  the  Boers  of  Cape  Colony,  and  England  cannot 
very  well  afford,  at  this  time,  to  have  two  Irelands  on  her  hands. 
Her  soldiers  are  badly  needed  elsewhere.  The  Boers  of  Cape 
Colony  are  losing  no  opportunity  to  let  the  English  know  their 
feelings  on  the  subject  of  the  war  England  is  now  waging  against 
their  brethren  in  the  Transvaal  and  Orange  Free  State. 

Centennial  Celebration. 

On  the  12th  of  December,  the  centennial  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  our  national  capital  was  celebrated  at  Washington  by 
ceremonies  befitting  the  occasion.  George  Washington  was  in- 
augurated in  New  York,  but  for  the  first  ten  years  thereafter,  of 
the  existence  of  our  national  government,  the  seat  of  federal  au- 
thority was  located  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  In  these  early 
times,  it  was  fully  realized  that  a  great  metropolis  like  New  York 
or  Philadelphia  exercised  very  harmful  influences  over  the  minds 
of  congressmen  and  federal  officials,  and  it  was  thought  the  part 
of  wisdom  to  establish  our  capital  in  a  district  of  country  under 
the  exclusive  control  of  Congress,  and  remove  every  metropolitan 
influence. 

There  were  two  circumstances  which  were  kept  in  mind  in  the 
location  of  the  capital;  one  was  that  it  should  be  as  near  the  center 
of  population  of  the  thirteen  original  states  as  possible;  and  the 
other  circumstance  was  that  it  should  be,  if  possible,  upon  a  water- 
way, permitting  the  largest  vessels  of  war  to  navigate  it,  and  yet 
be  so  far  removed  from  the  sea-board  as  to  avoid  the  dangers  of 
foreign  fleets.  Ten  miles  square  was  chosen  on  both  sides  of  the 
Potomac,  from  tracts  of  country  ceded  to  the  national  government 
by  the  states  of  Maryland  and  Virginia.  Afterwards,  however, 
during  the  administration  of  President  Polk,  the  Virginia  side  of 
our  capital  was  ceded  back  to  the  state  which  gave  it.  In  the 
beginning,  the  part  of  two  wings  of  the  national  capitol  was  con- 
structed, one  for  the  Senate,  the  other  for  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. These  two  parts  are  now  used,  one  for  the  Supreme 
Court  and  the  other  for  the  Hall  of  Statuary.  The  great  dome  has 
been  built  in  the  course  of  time,  and  the  large  wings,  extending 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  211 

beyond  the  former  rooms  occupied  by  the  Senate  and  the  House  of 
Representatives.  Today,  the  capitol  building  is  one  of  the  most 
magnificent  in  the  world,  certainly  the  greatest  in  this  country. 
The  White  House  was  built  at  an  early  time,  and  remains  practically 
as  originally  constructed. 

During  almost  every  decade  from  the  establishment  of  our 
national  capital  at  Washington,  important  additions  have  been 
made,  or  new  structures  reared,  for  the  use  and  embellishment 
of  the  national  capital.  The  one  of  which  the  nation  may  most 
justly  feel  proud  is  our  national  library.  Although  not  so  large 
as  the  capitol,  its  architectural  effects  are  certainly  more  pleasing, 
and  it  is  the  object  of  admiration  by  every  foreigner  who  visits 
Washington. 

The  ceremonies  of  the  celebration  were  simple  yet  impressive. 
The  governors  of  nearly  twenty  states,  the  national  military  staff 
of  officers  at  Washington,  the  president's  cabinet,  and  other  digni- 
taries, convened  in  the  morning  at  the  White  House.  The  first 
part  of  the  meeting  was  informal;  and  later,  a  model  of  the 
White  House,  with  suggested  improvements  was  unveiled.  This 
model  represents  the  home  of  our  chief  executive  as  it  is  to  be 
in  the  future.  During  the  administration  of  President  Harrison, 
his  wife,  in  conjunction  with  an  eminent  architect,  made  out  a  plan 
for  these  additions  to  the  White  House,  which  had  for  some  time 
been  thought  necessary.  Mrs.  Harrison  was  a  woman  of  a  very 
superior  taste,  and  is  most  artistic  in  her  designs,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that  her  recommendations  will  find  approval  both  in  the  mind 
of  our  chief  executive  and  in  the  action  of  Congress.  -  The  front 
part  of  the  White  House  is  to  remain  as  originally  constructed, 
but  two  wings  are  to  be  added  so  as  to  extend  the  White  House 
both  on  the  right  .and  the  left,  and  make  the  addition  plainly  visi- 
ble from  the  street.  These  additions  are  to  extend  largely  in  the 
rear  of  the  building,  and  between  their  extreme  ends  the  conserva- 
tory is  to  be  erected;  so  that  whether  you  look  at  the  White 
House  at  the  front  or  the  rear,  it  presents  a  most  pleasing  archi- 
tectural design.  The  roughly  estimated  cost  of  these  additions 
will  be  $1,100,000. 

After  the  model  was  unveiled,  the  procession  of  dignitaries 
assembled  was  led  by  the  president  to  the  national  capitol  along 


212  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

he  famous  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  At  the  capitol,  appropriate  cere- 
monies were  held,  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  by  speeches  and 
historical  reminiscences  given  by  the  most  eminent  men  in  the 
country. 

Washington  has  already  become  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
attractive  cities  in  the  world.  It  does  not  stand  in  the  same  posi- 
tion as  Paris,  and  does  not,  perhaps,  in  some  respects,  equal  the 
capital  of  the  German  Empire.  The  seat  of  our  federal  govern- 
ment possesses  more  of  the  rural  character,  and  is  pre-eminently  a 
city  of  homes.  For  that  reason,  it  would  be  diflScult  to  make 
any  satisfactory  comparison  between  America's  capital  and  that  of 
either  France  or  Germany.  The  historic  importance,  however,  of 
the  seat  of  our  federal  government  is  growing  every  year.  The 
student  of  history  should  know  something  of  our  national  capital, 
and  if  all  cannot  visit  it,  all  may  have  some  satisfactory  knowledge 
of  its  location,  its  history,  and  the  character  which  it  gives  to  our 
national  life.  It  is  certainly  the  first  city  in  America,  and  the  cen- 
tennial anniversary  of  its  founding  is  the  beginning  of  an  epoch 
in  the  history  of  our  national  life. 

The  G)st  of  Edttcation. 

The  recent  report  of  Dr.  Harris,  the  United  States  commis- 
sioner of  education,  contains  a  number  of  items  of  great  import- 
ance to  the  educational  interests  of  the  United  States.  It  is  stated 
that  the  public  schools  receive  from  funds  raised  by  taxation, 
about  two  hundred  million  dollars  per  year.  Outside  of  this  pub- 
lic expenditure  is  the  important  fact  that,  during  the  year  1899, 
private  contributions  for  educational  purposes  in  the  United  States 
exceeded  seventy  million  dollars. 

There  is  perhaps  no  institution  in  this  country  which  men 
more  gladly  endow  than  an  institution  of  learning.  Much  of  this 
endowment  has  gone  to  support  private  or  religious  schools,  and 
has  arisen  from  a  denominational  sentiment  of  the  most  liberal 
benefactors  in  a  church  way.  Most  of  this  enormous  amount  has 
been  contributed  through  the  medium  of  wills,  since  there  is  a  very 
general  disposition  among  many  philanthropic  men  to  regard  edu- 
cation as  an  heir  and  a  beneficiary  of  their  estates.    The  disposi- 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  213 

tion  among  many  philanthropists  of  Utah  has  already  begun  to 
manifest  itself  in  this  direction,  and  we  may  reasonably  believe, 
and  certainly  hope,  that  the  Church  School  system  of  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  will  in  time  become  one  of  the  beneficiaries  of  men  who 
recognize  a  church  and  public  duty  in  the  distribution  of  their 
estates. 

It  would  be  difl[icult  to  estimate  the  enormous  wealth  which 
education  has  created,  and  the  recipients  of  that  wealth  may  rea- 
sonably feel  a  sacred  obligation  to  perpetuate  the  educational  op- 
portunities and  advantages  that  are  doing  so  much  for  the  happi- 
ness and  civilization  of  man. 


THE  JOY  OF  A  LETTER. 


"The  odor  of  pine  trees  blow  spicily  over, 
The  brooklet  below  me  goes  singing  along, 

Across  it,  beyond,  are  the  cows  in  the  clover, 
And  I  o'er  a  letter  am  singing  my  song. 

"Letter,  my  letter,  you're  better,  far  better 
Than  gold-dust  or  jewels  or  sweet-scented  wood. 

Ah,  yes;  it  is  true  that  I  prize  you,  my  letter, 
My  letter  that  cheers  me  as  nothing  else  could. 

"For  here  do  I  read,  and  believe  it  most  truly. 
There  is  love,  there  is  faith  in  a  great  heart  for  me; 

And  therefore  my  own  heart  is  growing  unruly, 
And  therefore  the  world  is  o'er-glorious  to  see. 

"Then  blow,  spicy  odors,  around  and  above  me, 
And  brooklet  below  me,  sing  loud  and  sing  strong, 

For  here  do  I  read  that  a  great  heart  does  love  me, 
And  out  of  my  soul  bursts  the  joy  of  a  song." 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES. 

(Continued  from  page  I'jS.) 


What  Truth  did  for  Lore. 

Ere  Truth  looked  forth,  e'en  truest  love  was  blind. 

Truth  spake — then  fell  the  bandage  from  Love's  eyes; 

She  taught  dazed  Eros  how  to  see  aright, 

And  rightly  fill  his  ministry  below. 

Marriage,  that  builds  life's  bridge  o'er  death's  dark  gulf. 

Was  failure  deemed,  its  fate  a  mystery; 

Truth  waved  her  wand — the  darkness  was  dispelled. 

And  lovers  fond,  who  wed  and  wept  in  vain 

When  death  them  parted,  smiling  through  their  tears, 

Saw  written  on  hope's  rainbow  arch,  "Success;" 

Saw  Hymen's  bridge,  that  only  spans  Time's  wave 

To  human  vision,  forward  thrown,  till  lost 

Beyond  the  billows  of  Eternity. — Orson  F.  Whitney. 

The  Schools  and  Teachers  of  the  New  Century* 

The  past  century  has  witnessed  many  improvements  in 
methods  of  teaching,  in  subject  matter  taught,  and  in  the  school 
buildings  themselves;  but  present  improved  conditions  only  portend 
the  greater  possibilities  of  the  opening  century.  Educators  per- 
ceive that  the  marvelous  physical  world  about  us,  in  its  wondrous 
pages  of  hill  and  dale  and  rock  and  sea  and  air  and  sky,  contains 
subject  matter  better  adapted  for  the  study  of  modern  youth  than 
the  thoughts  received  second-hand  from  the  stale  and  musty 
books  of  past  generations.  They  comprehend  that  the  objective 
study  of  the  matter-world  about  us,  is  the  work  that  will  continue 
to  produce  such  material  changes  as  will  even  surpass  in  greatness 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  215 

the  startling  achievements  of  the  hundred  years  now  closing. 
Hence,  the  school  programs  of  the  future  will  be  changed  to  em- 
phasize the  importance  of  the  study  of  nature.  The  teachers  of 
the  future  will  be  chosen  with  special  reference  to  their  fitness  to 
teach  right  and  truth  in  these  lines.  They  should  be  original  in- 
vestigators, who  recognize  the  Creator  in  the  works  of  his  crea- 
tion, and  not  parrot- teachers  of  such  untenable  theories  and  soph- 
istries as  have  often  characterized  the  teachings  of  the  past  age, 
and  are  now  extant  in  many  of  our  scientific  texts.  They  must 
believe  that  the  indestructibility  of  matter  and  force  but  demon- 
strates the  immortality  of  the  soul;  must  lead  the  pupil  from 
nature  to  a  knowledge  of  nature's  God. — Wm.  H.  Jones. 

The  Eldefs'  Education* 

Among  the  highest  orders  of  sublime  and  ennobling  education, 
obtainable  under  terrestrial  conditions,  we  place  that  elevating 
and  divine  tuition  which  the  Elders  of  Israel  receive,  while  travel- 
ling amongst  the  Gentiles  as  witnesses  of  Christ,  faithful  to  his 
instractions.— Christian  A.  Madsen. 

Achievements  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 

God  is  above  any  and  all  the  works  of  man.  Knowledge  of 
the  true  and  living  God  is  above  any  knowledge  of  a  purely  secular 
character,  that  can  be  acquired.  Hence  the  restoration  of  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  its  simplicity  and  purity  is  the  most  im- 
portant event,  not  only  of  this  century  but  also  of  any  other  since 
the  one  that  witnessed  the  birth  and  earthly  existence  of  our  Lord 
and  Savior.  It  is  fitting  that  this  restoration  should  be  contem- 
poraneous with  the  greatest  industrial  development  the  world  has 
ever  known.  It  is  much  to  be  doubted  whether  man  is  morally 
better  in  this  age  than  in  those  that  precede  it;  audit  is  generally 
conceded  that  he  has  neither  physical  strength  nor  courage  greater 
than  his  forefathers.  But  his  control  of  the  elements,  and  his 
knowledge  of  the  laws  by  which  they  are  governed,  have  increased 
many  fold  more  than  in  any  corresponding  period  in  the  history  of 
the  world.  Chief  among  the  agencies  that  have  contributed  to 
the  wonderful  industrial  growth  are  steam  and  electricity.  Both 
were  previously  known  as  elements  of  power,  but  their  application 


216  IMPROVEMENT  ERA.    ^ 

and  control  were  each  unknown.  Little  by  little,  they  have  been 
harnessed  and  made  to  serve  man,  until  now  the  simple  pressure 
of  a  button,  or  the  touch  of  a  lever,  frequently  sets  in  motion 
machinery  that  does  the  work  formerly  performed  by  thousands  of 
men.  Into  every  sphere  of  civilized  life  have  these  agencies  been 
introduced.  Truly  marvelous  have  been  the  changes  wrought. 
News  items  now  flash  around  our  globe  faster  than  the  earth  turns 
upon  its  axis.  Seas  are  crossed,  and  continents  traversed,  in  an 
ever-decreasing  fraction  of  the  time  once  required  by  the  most 
skilled  and  fortunate  navigators,  and  the  most  expeditious  lands- 
men. Night  is  illuminated  by  a  light  rivalling  the  sun  in  brilliancy; 
and,  as  never  before,  earth,  air  and  sea  verify  the  promise  made 
to  man  in  Genesis,  by  contributing  to  his  comfort,  and  acknowledg- 
ing his  dominion.  The  knowledge  of  chemistry  has  revolutionized 
methods  of  extracting  from  the  elements  things  most  useful  ta 
man.  The  earth  fills  the  measure  of  her  creation.  It  remains  only 
for  man  to  live  up  to  the  standard  required  to  fill  his  high  destiny. 
— George  M.  Cannon. 

Look  to  the  Future  with  Hopeful  Hearts* 

The  Nineteenth  century!  Wondrous  age!  Who  among  all  the 
sons  of  men  can  grasp,  in  their  fullness,  the  marvelous  achieve- 
ments of  the  past  hundred  years?  The  wildest  imaginings  of  men 
who  lived  in  former  ages  have  been  more  than  realized  in  the 
century  now  closing. 

The  contrast  between  the  tallow  dip,  and  the  electric  light, 
tells,  in  part,  the  startling  story  of  advancement.  During  the 
century,  there  has  been  a  bounding  forward,  in  almost  every  branch 
of  human  learning,  as  great  as  the  difference  between  the  old- 
fashioned  candle  and  the  dazzling  brilliance  of  the  electric  light. 

One  hundred  years  ago,  the  mode  of  travel  was  by  ox  team, 
lumbering  coach,  or  uncertain  sailing  vessel.  A  journey  of  any 
length  involved  both  hardship  and  peril.  Now,  with  ease,  comfort, 
and  safety,  journeys  are  made  with  marvelous  speed,  in  the  auto- 
mobile, the  Pullman,  and  the  mighty  ocean  steamer.  The  thoughts 
of  man  are  flashed  from  land  to  land,  and  circle  the  earth  almost 
as  soon  as  conceived.    Peoples,  on  opposite  sides  of  the  globe,  are 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  217 

now  as  familiar  with  each  other's  doings,  as  they  were  in  neigh- 
boring counties  at  the  opening  of  the  century. 

Conditions,  religiously,  were  as  dismal,  one  hundred  years 
ago,  as  in  every  other  direction:  no  voice  from  heaven,  no  inspired 
man  to  point  out  the  path  leading  back  to  God.  Now,  the  dark- 
ness has  been  dispelled,  the  revelation  of  the  Almighty  is  again 
enjoyed;  the  promises,  made  anciently  by  holy  prophets,  concern- 
ing the  glory  of  the  latter  days,  are  beginning  to  come  to  pass. 
In  the  top  of  the  mountains  God  is  performing  "a  marvelous  work." 
The  year  1800  opened  without  a  man  upon  the  earth  holding 
divine  authority;  1900  closes  with  an  army  of  inspired  men  author- 
ized to  speak  and  act  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

It  is  the  decree  of  God,  oft  repeated,  that  in  this  dispensation 
his  work  should  be  cut  short.  In  the  remarkable  changes  that 
have  been  wrought,  since  God  spoke  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith, 
who  cannot  discern  the  finger  of  the  Lord,  and  the  inspiration  of 
his  Spirit  in  filling  the  minds  of  men  with  greater  wisdom  than 
they  have  heretofore  possessed?  Who  so  blind  that  they  cannot 
see  this  mighty  advancement  paving  the  way  for  God's  messengers 
to  go  with  "speed  swiftly"  to  all  nations  crying,  "repent  ye,  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand"? 

The  young  men  of  Israel,  who  have  inspired  leaders  to  counsel 
them,  who  are  surrounded  with  great  educational  advantages,  who 
have  the  remarkable  history  of  The  Church  and  the  world  from 
which  to  draw  lessons,  all  tending  to  prepare  them  for  the  work 
to  which  God  has  called  them,  should  look  into  the  coming  century 
with  hopeful  hearts,  and  with  the  knowledge  that  they  will  play 
an  important  part  in  the  future  history  of  The  Church,  and  of  the 
world.  Careful  preparation  for  grave  responsibilities  should  be 
made.    The  glorious  future  demands  it.— Jos.  W.  McMurrin. 

A  Lesson  from  the  Events  of  this  Century. 

If  the  marvelous  events  that  make  up  the  history  of  the 
Nineteenth  century  are  thoughtfully  considered,  they  convey  one 
grand  lesson:  that  God  is  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  nations  of  the 
world,  and  that  he  is  shaping  the  fate  of  mankind  with  the  end  in 
view  of  establishing  the  kingdom  over  which  shall  rule  in  infinite 


218  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

power  the  King  of  kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords.  What  the  royal 
psalmist,  thousands  of  years  ago,  chanted  in  the  sweet  rhythm  of 
Hebrew  poetry:  "Ask  of  me,  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen  for 
thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  thy 
possession,"  was  never  more  clearly  shown  to  be  the  purpose  of 
God  with  regard  to  His  beloved  Son,  than  in  the  wonderful  chapter 
of  history  that  closes  this  century. 

It  is  shown  in  the  opening  up  of  the  remotest  parts  of  the 
world  to  civilization  and  commerce — in  the  union  of  India's  mil- 
lions with  the  British  empire,  the  tearing  down  of  the  Chinese 
wall,  the  interpretation  of  the  mysteries  of  the  pyramids  and 
sphinx  of  Egypt,  the  penetration  of  the  darkest  continent,  the 
civilization  of  Australia,  and  the  unification  and  strengthening 
of  the  United  States  into  the  greatest  power  on  earth.  It  is  shown 
in  the  triumphs  of  the  sciences,  by  which  distances  have  been 
annihilated  and  all  the  grand  divisions  of  the  world  have  been 
brought  together  as  so  many  rooms  in  one  great  mansion.  It  is 
xiemonstrated  in  the  wars  that  have  been  waged,  and  the  revolu- 
tions that  have  convulsed  the  nations,  all  tending  to  the  emanci- 
pation of  mankind  from  the  grasp  of  political  and  religious 
tyranny.  It  is,  above  all,  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  in  this 
century,  after  a  long  interval,  God  again  has  spoken  ^through  His 
servants  and  proclaimed  the  near  advent  of  the  Redeemer. 

When  we  carefully  consider  the  effects  of  the  French  revolu- 
tions and  the  wars  that  grew  out  of  them,  upon  the  nations  of 
Europe,  or  the  war  for  union  that  was  fought  in  this  country,  or 
the  marvels  of  steam  and  electricity,  the  advance  of  knowledge, 
and  the  restoration  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  its  pristine  purity, 
we  can  but  exclaim:  "What  has  the  Lord  wrought!"  For  all  this 
is  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  as  plainly  discernible  in  history,  as 
are  his  power,  wisdom,  and  love  seen  in  the  universe  which  forms 
but  the  brilliant  frame  by  which  history  is  surrounded. 

And  this  lesson  is  much  needed.  Orthodox  theology,  itself 
blind,  is  vainly  striving  to  lead  philosopy  out  of  the  darkness  in 
which  it  is  groping.  Man  is  at  a  loss,  as  to  the  most  practical 
<luestions  of  the  day,  touching  upon  our  eternal  destiny,  and 
earthly  mission.  "If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again?"  is  still  the 
pathetic  question  at  the  brink  of  eternity.     "Am  I  my  brother's 


THE  MEETING  OF  THE  CENTURIES.  219 

keeper?"  still  forms  the  basis  of  worldly  ethics.  Hence  contempt 
for  divine  authority,  God's  laws  and  judgments;  hence  pride,  class 
distinction,  oppressive  competition  and  strife,  with  its  opposite 
currents  of  bitterness  and  anarchy.  But  in  the  midst  of  all  this, 
the  testimony  of  the  Nineteenth  century  is  that  God  still  rules, 
and  that  the  time  is  approaching  when  all  social  inequalities  shall 
be  evened  out,  and  truth  and  justice  rule  supreme.  Everything  is 
being  prepared  for  this.  Jubilant  may,  therefore,  be  our  requiem 
at  the  grave  of  this  century: 

"All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name 

Let  angels  prostrate  fall, 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all." 

— J.  M.  Sjodahl. 

The  WoAd  is  Gfowingf  Better. 

The  universe  goes  not  backward.  Every  tick  of  the  clock  of 
time  marks  an  advance  toward  general  betterment.  The  pendulum 
swings  to  the  left  as  well  as  to  the  right,  but  the  hands  move 
onward  only. 

The  outgoing  century  leaves  to  the  incoming  one,  more  light, 
more  love,  more  liberty,  more  wealth,  more  wisdom  and  more  work, 
than  that'  bequeathed  by  all  the  others. 

The  increase  of  good  has  always,  in  the  sum  total,  been 
greater  than  the  growth  of  evil.  Divinity,  Nature  &  Co.,  are  not 
-carrying  on  a  losing  business,  their  gains  have  been  more  than  the 
losses  from  the  beginning. 

As  every  day,  car  loads  of  freight  speed  westward  while  the 
earth  rolls  steadily  eastward,  so  may  individuals  be  getting  worse 
while  the  world  is  getting  better. — G.  H.  Brimhall. 

Out  of  Hatfe<J  and  Wa,t  Shall  Come  Love  and  Union. 

The  opening  years  of  the  Nineteenth  century  see  the  tree  of 
liberty  putting  forth  its  leaves  and  buds  in  promise  of  a  glorious 
fruitage  for  man.  All  things  are  prepared  for  the  coming  forth 
of  the  Gospel  in  its  fullness,  and  the  opening  of  the.  Dispensation 
of  the  Fullness  of  Times.     God  speaks,  Christ  is  introduced,  and 


220  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

man  is  taught  to  know  the  true  and  living  God,  and  partake  of  his 
truth.  Light  comes  into  the  earth,  and  the  whole  world  starts  on 
a  career  of  progress  never  equalled  before  in  its  history.  Inventions 
crowd  upon  each  other,  and  man  advances  in  every  line  of  useful 
art  and  science,  until  he  has  become  almost  Godlike  in  his  power 
to  do.  Earth,  air,  fire  and  water,  and  the  thousand  things  therein, 
are  made  servants  of  his  will,  and  ministers  to  his  comfort  and 
progress.  Liberty's  tree  bears  precious  fruit  which  is  carried  to 
many  lands.  But  with  it  all,  alas!  as  the  century  draws  to  its 
close,  crime  runs  riot,  and  sin  is  rampant,  and  man  forgets  God, 
who  has  given  him  the  glorious  fruits  of  liberty  and  light;  and  the 
heavens  are  red  with  blood,  as  the  sun  sets  on  the  century. 

And  thus  men  are  preparing  for  the  great  and  awful  events 
of  the  coming  century. 

The  Nineteenth  was  a  marvel,  but  the  Twentieth  century  shall 
far  exceed  it,  in  its  importance  to  man.  In  it  shall  come  the  pre- 
paration, in  judgments  and  calamities,  for  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  Man  in  glory  and  power.  Wondrous  prophecies  shall  be  fulfilled, 
and  out  of  chaos' shall  come  order;  out  of  anarchy,  peace;  and  out 
of  hatred  and  war,  shall  come  the  reign  of  universal  love  and 
brotherly  union,  when  He  shall  reign  whose  right  it  is  to  rule,  and 
every  knee  shall  bow  and  every  tongue  confess  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ. — Thomas  Hull. 


GOVERNOR  JAMES   DUANE   DOTY. 
1863-1865. 


THE  GOVERNORS  OF  UTAH. 


JOHN  W.  DAWSON,  FRANK  FULLER. 

[The  Era,  so  far,  has  been  unsuccessful  in  its  efforts  to  secure  the 
portraits  of  Secretary  Fuller  or  Governors  Gumming  and  Harding.  Desir- 
ing, however,  to  present  a  portrait  in  each  number,  so  as  to  use  the 
twelve  pictures  which  we  have  obtained,  in  the  course  of  the  current 
volume,  we  are  obliged  to  insert  them  somewhat  out  of  order;  hence,  the 
portrait  of  Governor  Dawson  in  the  December  number,  and  that  of  Gov- 
ernor Doty  in  this  number.  For  this  seeming  lack  of  harmonious  arrange- 
ment, we  crave  the  kind  indulgence  of  our  readers.— Editors.] 

Aside  from  the  ten  months  of  exciting  rule  by  Governor  Hard- 
ing, the  lively  historical  and  political  period  intervening  between 
the  departure  of  Governor  Gumming,  in  May,  1861,  and  the  in- 
auguration of  Governor  James  Duane  Doty,  June  11,  1863,  was 
principally  occupied  with  Secretary  Frank  Fuller,  in  the  guber- 
natorial chair.  He  acted  first,  until  the  arrival  of  Dawson,  having 
taken  the  oath  of  office  September  11,  1861,  the  day  after  his  ar- 
rival in  the  Territory;  then,  his  second  term  began  when  Dawson 
left,  on  the  last  day  of  the  same  year,  and  continued  until 
Governor  Stephen  S.  Harding  arrived  on  July  7,  1862;  and  he 
remained  as  secretary  during  the  new  governor's  term  until  June 
11,  1863,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Amos  Reed,  secretary  under 
Governor  Doty.  These  two  years,  as  we  shall  see,  were  scarcely 
less  exciting,  in  a  political  sense,  than  the  period  of  the  Utah  war. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States,  on  the  4th  of  March,  1861,  and  on  October  3,  of  that 
year,  he  made  the  following  appointments  for  Utah:  For  governor, 
John  W.  Dawson,  of  Indiana;  for  secretary,  Frank  Fuller,  of  New 
Hampshire;  for  superintendent  of  Indian    affairs,   James  Duane 


222  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Doty,  of  Michigan;  for  surveyor  general,  S.  R.  Fox.  The  secretary 
and  surveyor-general  arrived  in  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  10th  of  Sep- 
tember following.  The  next  day,  Mr.  Fuller  took  the  oath  of  office, 
and  became  acting  governor.  It  was  not  until  December  7,  that 
Dawson  arrived.  He  was  accompanied  by  Superintendent  Doty,  and 
took  the  oath  of  office  on  the  10th.  The  career  of  Dawson,  the 
third  regularly  appointed  governor  of  Utah,  was  indeed  very  short, 
for  with  the  closing  of  the  year,  he  fled  from  the  Territory  in  dis- 
grace. He  was  a  young,  handsome  and  apparently  bright  man, 
but  showed  little  judgment,  discretion  or  fitness  in  the  position 
which  he  was  called  to  fill. 

On  his  arrival,  the  legislature  was  in  session.  A  bill  had  passed 
both  houses  on  the  17th  and  18th  of  December,  providing  for  a 
convention  of  delegates  for  the  formation  of  a  constitution  and 
state  government.  This  bill  was  submitted  to  Governor  Dawson 
on  the  19th.  Two  days  later,  he  promptly  vetoed  it,  giving  as  his 
reason  that  the  time  between  its  passage  and  the  date  set  in  the 
act — January  6, 1862 — for  the  election  was  too  short  to  allow  due 
notice  to  be  given  to  the  people,  or  for  the  act  to  be  officially  sub- 
mitted to  Congress,  prior  to  the  election  of  the  delegates  or  to  the 
holding  of  the  convention  itself.  The  legislature  held  that  it  was 
not  necessary  to  submit  the  act  to  Congress  in  order  to  render  it 
operative. 

A  copy  of  the  governor's  only  message  to  the  legislature  is 
found  in  the  legislative  journals  of  1861-62.  Only  ten  days  after 
the  submission  of  the  veto,  he  suddenly  left  the  Territory,  having 
"made  indecent  proposals  to  a  respectable  lady  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
and  fearing  chastisement  at  the  hands  of  her  relatives  and  friends." 
Stenhouse  says  that  Dawson  was  made  a  "victim  of  misplaced  con- 
fidence, and  fell  into  a  snare  laid  for  his  feet  by  some  of  his  own 
brother  officials."  In  any  event,  he  left,  and  while  fleeing,  that 
night,  a  band  of  drunken  desperadoes  set  upon  him,  robbed,  as- 
saulted, kicked  and  beat  him  shamefully.  This  outrage  was  com- 
mitted at  Hank's  mail  station,  Mountain  Dell,  between  Little  and 
Big  Mountain.  The  guilty  parties  were  soon  after  arrested  for  their 
cowardly  and  brutal  assault  upon  the  fleeing  official.  A  few  days 
thereafter,  three  of  the  desperadoes  were  shot  by  officers  and 
killed  while  trying  to  escape,  and  their  confederates  were  duly 


THE  GOVERNORS  OF  UTAH.  223 

punished.     So  ended  the  official  career  of  Governor  Dawson;  little 
else  is  known  of  him  in  Utah. 

Secretary  Fuller  now  again  occupied  the  gubernatorial  chair. 
**He  was  a  bright  young  lawyer,"  writes  Historian  Andrew  Jenson, 
"and  soon  became  known  as  a  fair-minded  and  efficient  officer  whose 
good  judgment  could  be  relied  upon  in  most  matters  brought  be- 
fore him.  He  also  endeavored  to  treat  'Mormon'  and  Gentile  with 
equal  fairness  and  justice,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  a 
great  many  other  federal  officials  of  these  early  days,  since  many 
of  the  government  appointees  seem  to  have  thought  they  were  sent 
to  Utah  for  the  special  purpose  of  inaugurating  and  carrying  on  a 
crusade  against  the  'Mormons.' " 

There  were  several  important  events  in  the  progress  of  the 
great  west  which  took  place  about  this  time.  A  leading  one  was 
the  completion  of  the  Overland  Telegraph  Line  to  Great  Salt  Lake 
City.  On  the  day  following  its  completion,  Acting  Governor  Fuller 
saluted  President  Lincoln  with  the  following  now  famous  message: 

Great  Salt  Lake  City,  October  18,  186L 
To  the  President  of  the  United  States: 

Utah,  whose  citizens  strenuously  resist  all  imputations  of  disloyalty, 
congratulates  the  president  upon  the  completion  of  an  enterprise  which 
spans  a  continent,  unites  two  oceans,  and  connects  with  nerve  of  iron  the 
remote  extremities  of  the  body  politic  with  the  great  governmental  heart. 
May  the  whole  system  speedily  thrill  with  the  quickened  pulsations  of 
that  heart,  as  the  parricide  hand  is  palsied,  treason  is  punished,  and  the 
entire  sisterhood  of  states  joins  hands  in  glad  reunion  around  the  national 
fireside. 

Frank  Fuller,  Acting  Governor  of  Utah  Territory. 

The  president^responded  as  follows: 

Hon.  Frank  Fuller,  Acting  Governor  of  Utah  Territory: 

Sir:  The  completion  of  the  telegraph  to  Great  Salt  Lake  City  is 
auspicious  of  the  stability  and  union  of  the  Republic.  The  government 
reciprocates  your  congratulations. 

Abraham  Lincoln. 

One  of  the  important  legislative  measures  which  received  Gov- 
ernor Fuller's  sanction  was  a  memorial  to  Congress  asking  for  the 


224  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

admission  of  Utah  into  the  Union.  This  memorial  and  a  constitution 
for  a  state  were  adopted  in  March,  1862.  At  this  time,  also,  sen- 
ators were  elected  by  the  assembly  in  the  persons  of  William  H. 
Hooper  and  George  Q.  Cannon.  They  labored  hard  in  Congress  for 
the  cause,  but  failed.  While  they  did  not  succeed,  they  won  the 
respect  of  Congress  by  accepting  their  defeat  and  remaining  loyal 
to  the  Union,  at  a  time  when  abroad  it  was  generally  believed 
the  civil  war  would  result  favorably  to  the  south. 

In  April,  Congress  began  consideration  of  the  Justin  S.  Morrill 
bill,  which  finally  became  law  on  July  2,  and  which  is  generally 
known  as  the  anti-polygamy  bill  of  1862.  It  provided,  among 
other  things,  for  the  annuling  and  disapproval  of  certain  acts  of 
the  Utah  legislature,  and  that  no  church  corporation  shall  hold 
more  than  $50,000  worth  of  real  estate. 

In  1862,  the  Indians,  between  Utah  and  the  Missouri,  became 
very  hostile,  and  upon  being  told  by  President  Young  that  "the 
militia  were  ready  and  able,  as  they  had  ever  been,  to  take  care  of 
them,"  and  "to  protect  the  mail  line  if  called  upon  to  do  so,"  the 
war  department  authorized  Governor  Fuller  to  call  out  ninety  men 
for  three  months'  service  between  Fort  Bridger  and  Laramie.  On 
the  governor's  requisition,  therefore,  a  mounted  escort,  under  Col. 
R.  T.  Burton,  detailed  by  General  Daniel  H.  Wells,  went  in  the  sum- 
mer of  that  year  to  guard  the  mail  stage  and  passengers,  across 
the  Indian-infested  plains. 

The  Morrisite  troubles  were  in  full  force,  at  this  time,  and  in 
June,  of  1862,  Acting-Governor  Fuller  called  upon  General  Wells 
to  furnish  a  sufficient  military  force  to  act  as  a  posse  comitatus 
"for  the  arrest  of  offenders,  the  vindication,  of  justice  and  the  en- 
forcement of  the  law." 

With  the  arrival  of  Governor  Harding,  the  governing  career 
of  Frank  Fuller  terminated,  although  he  appears  to  have  held  the 
position  until  the  3rd  of  August  following.  As  secretary,  during 
Harding's  administration,  he  gave  the  same  universal  satisfaction 
that  characterized  his  career  as  acting  governor.  As  much  could  not 
be  said  of  Governor  Harding,  as  we  shall  see  later.  During  his  short 
career,  he  made  himself  exceedingly  obnoxious  to  the  "Mormon" 
portion  of  the  community,  so  much  so  that  in  less  than  a  year  he  was 
removed  by  President  Lincoln,  and  left  Salt  Lake  City  on  June  11, 


THE  GOVERNORS  OF  UTAH.  225 

1863.  "His  official  decapitation,"  writes  Andrew  Jenson,  "was 
considered  a  concession  to  the  'Mormons;'  and  in  order  to  please 
the  anti-'Mormons,'  (so  it  was  believed,)  the  president  at  the  same 
time  removed  Chief  Justice  John  F.  Kinney,  and  Secretary  Frank 
Fuller  who  had  both  been  friends  to  the  'Mormons.' " 

Mr.  Fuller  remained  in  the  Territory  for  several  years  after- 
wards, a  highly  respected  citizen.  After  the  constitutional  con- 
vention, held  in  1872,  Mr.  Fuller  was  chosen  one  of  the  delegates 
to  proceed  to  Washington  to  co-operate  with  Hon.  Wm.  H.  Hooper 
in  presenting  to  Congress  and  advocating  the  constitution  of  the 
proposed  State  of  Deseret.  Besides,  he  was  the  chosen  representa- 
tive to  Congress  from  the  proposed  State.  He  finally  settled  in  New 
York  City  where,  at  this  time,  he  is  a  successful  man  of  business. 


CONTENT. 


Sweet  are  the  thoughts  that  savor  of  content: 
The  quiet  mind  is  richer  than  a  crown: 
Sweet  are  the  nights  in  quiet  slumber  spent; 
The  poor  estate  scorns  Fortune's  angry  frown. 
Such  sweet  content,  such  minds,  such  sleep,  such  bliss, 
Beggars  enjoy,  when  princes  oft  do  miss. 
The  homely  house  that  harbors  quiet  rest. 
The  cottage  that  affords  no  pride  nor  care, 
The  mean,  that  'grees  with  country  music  best. 
The  sweet  consort  of  mirth's  and  music's  fare. 
Obscured  life  sets  down  a  type  of  bliss; 
A  mind  content  both  crown  and  kingdom  is. 

Robert  Greene. 


EDITOR'S  TABLE. 


WAS  THE  YOUNG  MAN  JUSTIFIED? 


The  total  result  of  a  person's  thoughts  and  acts  in  life,  form 
his  character.  So,  what  we  think  and  act,  gradually  ends  in  char- 
acter. Good  character  is  the  result  of  proper  thoughts  and  acts; 
and  bad  character,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the  result  of  evil  thoughts 
and  actions.  What  we  think  and  say,  therefore,  are  important 
considerations.  Every  person  is  his  own  character-builder.  He 
cannot  build  for  another,  neither  can  another  build  for  him.  We 
see  from  this  how  useless  it  is  for  a  person  to  do  as  some  one  else 
does,  or  to  follow  the  example  of  others,  unless  his  own  soul  is 
convinced  that  such  an  example  is  worthy.  Then  such  example 
becomes  a  healthy  stimulant  to  him.  But  he  must  know  for  him- 
self at  last,  otherwise,  he  will  follow  blindly  and  to  no  purpose  in 
the  end. 

We  are  led  to  write  these  words  by  an  incident  that  recently 
came  under  our  observation.  There  had  been  some  missionaries 
appointed  to  labor  with  the  indifferent  young  men,  in  one  of  our 
wards.  One  of  them  had  been  appointed  to  labor  with  a  young 
man  who  declared,  after  the  first  visit  or  two,  that  he  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  The  Church,  or  its  doctrines. 

This  is  the  reason  he  gave:  he  said:  "Why,  here  is  A.  who  is 
a  High  Priest.  He  smokes,  and  drinks,  and  swears  as  wickedly  as 
any  of  us.  The  Church  hasn't  made  him  any  better.  I'll  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it.    It's  all  hypocrisy!    Before  you  come  to 


EDITOR'S  TABLE.  227 

me  to  get  me  to  join  in  the  duties  of  The  Church,  or  to  make  me 
change,  as  you  call  it,  you'd  better  get  that  class  of  people  out." 

What  he  said  about  the  high  priest  might  be  true;  but  the 
high  priest  will  have  his  life-works  to  answer  for;  he  is  building 
his  own  character.  But  was  that  young  man's  position  correct? 
Was  he  justified  in  what  he  said?  Of  course,  he  was  not.  What 
matters  to  him  what  others  do!  Here  are  the  questions  he  should 
have  asked  himself:  "Is  it  true  that  God  spoke  to  Joseph  Smith 
and  founded  The  Church?  Are  the  principles  underlying  the  Gos- 
pel true?  Will  certain  good  results  to  my  character  accrue  from 
obedience  to  such  principles?"  The  reply  to  each  of  these  ques- 
tions, if  he  had  taken  the  trouble  to  prayerfully  and  earnestly  in- 
vestigate them,  would  have  been  "yes."  And  when  a  person 
feels,  "yes"  to  them,  in  his  heart,  what  does  such  a  person  care 
what  any  high  priest,  or  bishop,  or  seventy,  does  that  is  wrong 
or  contrary  to  such  testimony?  Nothing;  only  to  feel  sad  that  a 
brother  should  set  evil  example,  and  at  the  same  time  risk  ruining 
his  own  character;  perhaps,  also,  to  feel:  "It  must  needs  be  that 
offenses  come;  but  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  the  offense  cometh.'* 
As  for  himself,  however,he  says  in  his  soul :  "I  know  what  is  right,  and 
I  am  going  to  do  right!"  Such  a  course  would  be  a  manly  course. 
In  all  kindness,  we  ask  this  young  friend  to  look  at  the  subject  in 
this  light.  Be  a  man,  and  don't  ruin  your  own  character  because 
some  man  that  ought  to  be  exemplary  and  good,  persists  in  a 
course  that  will  ruin  him  in  the  end.  Don't  condemn  the  princi- 
ples of  true  character,  and  of  eternal  life,  because  some  who  pro- 
fess them  fail  in  living  up  to  them. 

What  would  you  think  of  a  man  who  would  condemn  all  en- 
gineers, and  canal-builders,  and  pronounce  irrigation  a  failure?  And 
why?  Because  he  knew  an  engineer  who  had  made  a  mistake  in 
his  calculations,  a  canal-builder  who  had  failed  in  making  the 
water  run  up  hill,  and  a  piece  of  land  that  had  raised  no  crop  be- 
cause of  drought?  Would  you  not  rather  say  to  yourself:  "I  will 
make  a  correct  survey;  I  will  build  my  canal  so  that  there  will  be  a 
fall  to  the  water;  I  will  demonstrate  that  irrigation  is  asuccess,be- 
cause  I  know  that  my  faith  therein  is  founded  upon  true  principles." 
Surely  you  would,  if  you  were  wise.  Then  apply  the  same  philosophy 
t  0  religion.     Don't  be  unreasonable  enough  to  discard  the  truth 


228  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

because  some  brother  professing  it  has  made  a  mistake  in  his  cal- 
culations, and  is  trying  to  make  water  run  up  hill.  If  he  still  per- 
sists in  his  course,  it  will  ruin  him;  but  you  be  a  man,  and  do  right 
nevertheless. 


ANSWERS  TO  QUESTIONS. 


Personality  of  the  Godhead. 

Show  how  to  explain  to  the  satisfactory  understanding  of  others, 
'  the  first  to  fifth  verses,  inclusive,  of  the  15th  chapter  of  Mosiah,  and 
still  maintain  that  the  Father  and  Son  are  two  distinct  personages. 

The  personality  of  the  Godhead  is  an  absolute  doctrine  of  The 
Church  regarding  which  there  can  be  no  doubt  or  controversy. 
The  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost  are  three  separate  and 
distinct  personages;  the  first  two  with  glorified  tabernacles  of 
flesh  and  bone,  the  third  a  personage  of  spirit.  If  this  fact  is 
never  lost  sight  of,  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  explaining  any  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  bearing  on  this  subject. 

But  there  is  a  oneness  in  the  Godhead  as  well  as  a  distinct- 
ness of  personality.  This  oneness  is  emphasized  in  the  sayings 
and  writings  of  prophets  and  apostles  in  order  to  guard  against 
the  erroneous  idea  that  these  three  may  be  distinct  and  independ- 
ent deities  and  rivals  for  our  worship.  The  stress  laid  upon  this 
unity  by  the  Bible  has  led  to  the  error,  so  prevalent  in  the  secta- 
rian denominations,  that  this  is  a  unity  of  personality — that  there 
is  only  one  personage,  manifesting  himself  in  three  different  ways. 
This  error  must  be  carefully  guarded  against. 

The  passages  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, which  have  been  misunderstood  and  wrongly  used  by  many  of 
our  elders,  are  the  ones  found  in  Mosiah  15: 1-5,  and  in  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  section  29.  In  explaining  these  passages,  it  is  necessary 
to  keep  in  mind  two  important  facts:  1.  That  Jesus  is  one  speaking 


EDITOR'S  TABLE.  229 

and  spoken  of.  2.  That  the  words  have  reference  to  this  earth, 
over  which  he  had  already  been  appointed  Redeemer,  Mediator, 
and  the  fully  accredited  representative  of  the  Godhead. 

These  points  make  it  clear  that  Abinadi  is  fully  justified  in 
referring  to  Jesus  as  the  Father  and  the  Son,  because  so  far  as 
this  earth  is  concerned,  he  possesses  the  full  authority  of  the  two. 
For  the  same  reason,  Jesus,  in  speaking  to  Joseph  Smith  could  re- 
fer to  himself  as  the  Father  and  the  Son.  This  assignment  of 
authority  to  Jesus  will  be  further  explained  by  reference  to  his  own 
words,  as  recorded  in  Matthew  28:  18.  "All  power  is  given  unto  me 
in  heaven  and  in  earth."  To  us  it  is  unessential  over  how  much 
of  the  universe  this  power  extends: — it  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know 
that  it  includes  the  full  power  of  God  so  far  as  the  earth  is  con- 
cerned, and  that,  therefore,  Jesus  can  speak  of  himself  to  us  as 
the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  we  do  not  need  to  interpret  his  words 
as  meaning  that  he  is  the  same  person  as  the  Father. 

A  homely  illustration  may  make  this  clearer:  Imagine  the 
firm  of  John  Smith  and  Son,  consisting  of  the  man  whose  name  is 
given,  and  his  son  James  Smith.  Suppose  that  so  far  as  a  certain 
district  is  concerned,  John  Smith  has  entrusted  all  his  business 
and  given  all  his  power  to  his  son.  That  son  in  visiting  that  dis- 
trict officially  would  of  necessity  refer  to  himself,  sign  checks, 
make  contracts,  etc.,  not  under  the  name  of  James  Smith,  but  the 
firm  name  "John  Smith  and  Son."  In  that  district,  he  would  be 
the  firm  official,  because  its  fully  empowered  representative.  But 
it  would  be  absurd  to  say  that  for  this  reason  he  is  the  same  person 
as  his  father.     Yet  into  a  similar  absurdity  modern  Christendom 

has  been  led 

Now  taking  Abinadi's  words,  "He  shall  be  called  the  Father 
because  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  Son  because  of  the  flesh,"  we  say, 
certainly.  The  Father  bestowed  his  authority  upon  Christ,  because 
he  was  of  the  same  spirit,  feeling,  intention,  purpose,  goodness, 
as  his  Father.  Otherwise,  the  Father  would  not  have  given  him 
"full  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth."  Because  of  this  spint,  there- 
fore, a  perfect  union  of  character  and  feeling  is  established  be- 
tween  the  Father  and  the  Son,  but  not  a  unity  of  personality.  iHe 
individuality  of  one  will  not-can  not-he  swallowed  up  by  the  other. 

Then,  because  this  being  was  the  Son  of  God  not  only  m  the 


230  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

spirit  but  also  in  the  flesh,  his  distinctive  title  is  the  Son,  "because 
of  the  flesh."    Therein  is  where  his  sonship  is  different  from  ours. 

Distinction  Between  Keys  of  the  Priesthood  and  Priesthood. 

What  is  the  distinction  between  Priesthood  in  general,  and  the  keys 
of  the  Priesthood? 

The  Priesthood  in  general  is  the  authority  given  to  man  to 
act  for  God.  Every  man  that  has  been  ordained  to  any  degree  of 
the  Priesthood,  has  this  authority  dedicated  to  him. 

But  it  is  necessary  that  every  act  performed  under  this  au- 
thority, shall  be  done  at  the  proper  time  and  place,  in  the  proper 
way,  and  after  the  proper  order.  The  power  of  directing  these 
labors  constitute  the  keys  of  the  Priesthood.  In  their  fullness, 
these  keys  are  held  by  only  one  person  at  a  time,  the  prophet  and 
president  of  The  Church.  He  may  delegate  any  portion  of  this 
power  to  another,  in  which  case  that  person  holds  the  keys 
of  that  particular  labor.  Thus,  the  president  of  a  temple, 
the  president  of  a  stake,  the  bishop  of  a  ward,  the  presi- 
dent of  a  mission,  the  president  of  a  quorum,  each  holds 
the  keys  of  the  labors  performed  in  that  particular  body  or 
locality.  His  Priesthood  is  not  increased  by  this  special  appoint- 
ment, for  a  seventy  who  presides  over  a  mission  has  no  more  Priest- 
hood than  a  seventy  who  labors  under  his  direction;  and  the  presi- 
dent of  an  elders'  quorum,  for  example,  has  no  more  Priesthood 
than  any  member  of  that  quorum.  But  he  holds  the  power  of  di- 
recting the  oflicial  labors  performed  in  the  mission  or  the  quorum, 
or  in  other  words,  the  keys  of  that  division  of  that  work.  So  it  is 
throughout  all  the  ramifications  of  the  Priesthood — a  distinction 
must  be  carefully  made  between  the  general  authority,  and  the  di- 
recting of  the  labors  performed  by  that  authority. 


BOOK  MENTION. 


Sunday  School  Jubilee  History. 

"Jubilee  History  of  Latter-day  Saints  Sunday  Schools"  is  the 
title  of  a  home  publication  recently  issued.     The  book  contains  a 


EDITOR'S  TABLE.  '  231 

record  of  our  Sunday  Schools  from  the  time  of  the  organization  of 
the  first  one  in  Utah,  in  December,  1849,  to  December,  1899,  cov- 
ering a  period  of  fifty  years.  In  the  fore  part  of  the  work,  the 
general  Sunday  School  movement  among  the  Latter-day  Saints 
is  briefly  treated.  Following  this  is  a  short  historical  sketch  of 
each  stake  and  ward  Sunday  School  organization  in  Zion,  with 
reports  of  the  mission  Sunday  Schools  of  The  Church.  A  complete 
report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  grand  Sunday  School  jubilee  cele- 
bration, held  in  the  Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake  City,  October  8, 1899,  is 
also  given.  This  work  is  embellished  with  nine  half-tone  engravings, 
containing  portraits  of  the  general  Sunday  School  officers,  mem- 
bers of  the  first  Sabbath  School  in  Utah,  stake  superintendents, 
representatives  of  nations,  etc.  The  volume,  which  contains  546 
pages,  handsomely  printed,  and  neatly  bound  in  cloth,  represents  a 
great  amount  of  care  and  labor  in  collecting  the  information  it  con- 
tains. It  is  a  very  useful  work  of  reference,  and  of  special  inter- 
est to  the  vast  army  of  Sunday  School  workers  in  Zion. 

The  book  is  published  and  for  sale  by  the  Deseret  Sunday 
School  Union,  Salt  Lake  City,  and  is  to  be  had  for  the  small  sum 
of  $1.00.  ' 


NOTES. 


Discretion  in  speech  is  more  than  eloquence. 

God  never  wrought  miracles  to  convince  atheism,  because  his  ordi- 
nary works  convince  it. 

Fame  is  like  a  river,  that  beareth  up  things  light  and  swollen,  and 
and  drown  things  weighty  and  solid. 

The  true  composition  of  a  counsellor  is  rather  to  be  skilled  in  his 
master's  business  than  his  nature;  for  then  he  is  like  to  advise  him,  and 
not  to  feed  his  humor.— Lore/  Bacon. 

The  intelligent  reader  is  no  doubt  familiar  with  the  fate  which 
the  scripture  has  met  at  the  hands  of  modern  theologians.    In  the  name 


232  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

of  "scientific  criticism"  (sometimes  called  "."the  higher  criticism"  in  order 
to  protect  it  from  the  attacks  of  the  vulgar  crowd)  the  Bible  has  been 
demolished.  Men  who  are  prominent  in  the  pulpit  have  submitted  both 
their  faith  and  their  reason  to  the  conclusions  of  this  "higher  criticism'^ 
— conclusions  which  are  based  on  suppositions,  theories,  suggestions  and 
deductions. 

The  German  theorizers  who  have  put  these  deductions  forward,  mod- 
estly call  themselves  "scientists;"  consequently  their  criticism  of  the  Bible 
is  necessarily  "scientific;"  and  a  great  many  people  are  ready  to  fall  in 
with  the  deductions  and  theories  of  the  enemies  of  the  Bible  simply  be- 
cause the  latter  have  put  a  tag  on  their  productions  and  labeled  them 
"scientific." 

Well,  these  investigators  have  just  as  much  right  to  the  tag  and 
label  as  the  venders  of  patent  medicines,  who  are  all  the  time  invoking 
the  name  of  "science"  in  behalf  of  their  wares.  The  right  is  the  same 
in  both  cases,  and  perhaps  in  both  the  employment  of  the  term  is  calcu- 
lated to  deceive  a  certain  portion  of  the  public;  but  thoughtful  people 
who  are  not  misled  by  labels  which  the  real  scientists  of  the  age — the 
men  who  know  enough  to  be  able  to  approach  the  unknowable  with  real 
humility — would  repudiate  with  scorn. — Jod  Chandler  Harris,  in  Phila- 
delphia Post. 

The  principle  of  baptism  for  the  dead  is  not  well  understood  by  the 
Christian  world  at  the  present  time.  Ministers  of  the  different  churches 
do  not  seem  to  understand  it,  or,  at  least,  they  do  not  mention  it  in  their 
sermons,  nor  teach  it  to  the  people;  yet  it  is  one  of  the  most  glorious 
principles  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  reaches  so  far  into  the  past, 
and  the  redemption  of  so  many  souls  depends  upon  it,  that  it  becomes  of 
paramount  importance  to  this  generation.  If  it  is  not  preached  and 
practiced,  the  whole  earth  will  be  smitten  with  a  curse  at  the  coming  of 
the  Lord.  (Mai.  4:  5-6.)  "Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  prophet 
before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord:  and  he 
shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart  of 
the  children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I  come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a 
curse."  This  principle,  and  also  that  of  the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  do  not  seem  to  be  understood  by  the  Christian 
world — are  not  taught  in  the  churches,  nor  recognized  as  points  of  their 
doctrine.    What  a  mistake  this  is! — /.  0.  Freekleton. 


IN  LIGHTER  MOOD. 


A  Serious  Implication.— Dr.  Macnamara,  a  noted  ex-teacher  of  Eng-^ 
land,  once  asked  a  boy  in  a  rural  school  the  definition  of  the  word  "pil- 
grim." 

"A  pilgrim,"  answered  the  boy,  "is  a  man  who  travels  from  place  to 
place." 

"I  do  that,"  said  the  inspector.     "Am  I  a  pilgrim?" 
The  answer  came:  "No,  sir;  a  pilgrim  is  a  good  man." 


"Doan  Drap  'Em."— An  old  colored  woman  of  my  acquaintance,  be- 
longed to  the  Methodist  Church,  though  she  was  the  sexton  of  our  church. 
The  Methodists  were  having  a  revival,  during  which  this  old  woman  felt 
called  upon  to  make  a  prayer.  She  commenced  with  the  stern  spirit  of 
an  ancient  Puritan,  and  closed  with  the  tenderness  of  an  old  Southern 
mammy:     "Oh,  Lawd,  tek  de  sinnahs  ob  C an  shek  'em  obah  de 

fiahs  ob  hell— but  please,  Lawd,  doan  drap  'em." — Recollections  of  a  Mis- 
sionary. 


The  horse  looked  all  right»  but  he  broke  down  completely  as  soon  as 
he  got  over  the  effects  of  the  pepper  he  swallowed  just  before  starting* 
and  the  candidate  arrived  after  his  rival  had  been  nominated,  and  the 
convention  had  adjourned. 

"Look  here.  Smith,"  said  the  politician,  on  his  return,  "you  must  be 
training  this  horse  for  the  New  York  market.  You  expect  to  sell  him 
to  an  undertaker  for  a  hearse  horse,  don't  you,  at  a  good  round  price." 

"No,  no!"  expostulated  the  stableman,  "he's  one  of  my  best  horses." 

"Oh,  don't  deny  it!  I  know  by  his  gait  that  you  have  spent  days, 
training  him  to  pull  a  hearse;  but  it's  all  time  wasted.  He  will  prove  a 
dead  failure.  He's  altogether  too  slow.  He  couldn't  get  a  corpse  to  the 
cemetery  in  time  for  the  resurrection!" — Eobert  Waters. 


OUR  WORK 


PROSPECTS  AND  LABORS  IN  ST.  GEORGE. 

The  following  letter  from  Elder  David  H.  Morris,  superintendent  of 
Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  of  St.  George  stake,  was  read  to  the  General  Board  at  its 
meeting  on  November  28.  It  was  resolved  to  publish  the  same,  since  it  is  a 
sample  of  the  great  amount  of  work  being  done  in  some  of  the  stakes,  and 
may  act  as  an  incentive  to  other  superintendents  to  report  occasionally 
to  the  General  Board,  who  would  be  pleased  to  receive  similar  letters 
from  every  stake  superintendent,  say  twice  each  season,  so  as  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  work  being  done,  and  to  be  kept  in  touch  with  the 
labors  of  the  brethren. 

The  work  performed  in  the  St.  George  stake  will  be  better  appreci- 
ated when  it  is  known  that  to  make  the  visits  reported  by  Elder  Morris, 
it  was  necessary  to  travel  over  five  hundred  miles  by  team : 

Dear  Brethren: — Thinking  it  would  be  agreeable  to  the  Gener- 
al Board  to  learn  what  we  are  doing  in  mutual  work  in  the  St.  George 
stake,  I  make  a  brief  report  thereof  so  far  this  season. 

On  Sunday,  October  14,  we  held  a  conjoint  district  conference  at 
Pine  Valley,  the  district  embracing  the  western  part  of  the  stake  in- 
cluding Gunlock,  Harmony,  Pinto,  Enterprise,  Hebron,  Panaca  and  Pine 
Valley. 

On  Sunday,  October  28,  we  held  another  conjoint  conference  in 
Rockville,  embracing  Leeds,  Toquerville,  Virgen  City,  Grafton,  Spring- 
dale  and  Rockville. 

On  Sunday,  November  18,  another  was  held  in  Bunkerville,  tak- 
ing in  the  settlements  of  Littlefield,  Mesquite,  St.  Thomas,  Overton  and 
Bunkerville. 

These  settlements  include  all  of  the  stake  with  the  exception  of  St. 
George,  Santa  Clara,  Washington  and  Price,  and  the  White  River  settle- 


OUR  WORK.  235 

ments.  I  attended  all  the  conferences,  also  attended  meetings  of  the  as- 
sociations in  Virgen  City,  Washington,  Santa  Clara  and  St.  George,  and 
can  say  that  there  is  a  great  interest  taken  in  the  work.  The  prospects 
look  very  bright  for  a  good  winter's  work.  Of  course,  there  are  some 
young  men  who  do  not  attend,  but  our  experience  convinces  us  that  the 
young  married  men  are  the  ones  who  do  not  come  out  to  our  meetings. 

Our  subscription  to  the  Era  and  Improvement  Fund  may  not  be  what 
we  would  like,  but  when  you  remember  the  great  drouth  we  have  passed 
through,  it  will  not  be  strange,  for  I  know  our  young  men  are  patriotic  in 
the  cause  of  truth. 

Brother  Frie  is  on  his  way  to  visit  the  White  River  settlements,and 
to  organize  the  associations  there.  He  expects  to  be  gone  three  weeks. 
I  will  visit  Price  in  the  near  future,  as  soon  as  the  river  has  gone  down, 
and  the  nights  are  light.  Then  we  will  have  finished  visiting  the  stake, 
either  in  the  wards  or  in  conferences. 

Nearly  all  our  wards  were  represented  at  our  conferences,  at  each 
of  which  we  held  a  good  officers'  meeting,  instructing  them  on  all  the 
points  contained  in  Era,  No.  11,  Vol.  Ill,  besides  making  it  very  plain 
that  the  resignation  of  any  officer  who  could  not,  or  was  not  willing,  to 
observe  the  Word  of  Wisdom,  pay  his  tithing,  and  attend  to  his  prayers, 
would  be  acceptable. 

The  latter  instruction  we  received  from  the  presidency  of  our  stake, 
and  I  believe  was  received  by  the  young  men,  as  agreeable  with  the 
mind  of  the  Lord. 

The  envelopes  were  delayed  in  the  mail,  but  I  think  we  will  be  able 
to  get  them  distributed  in  time  for  the  first  week  in  December. 

In  conclusion,  I  may  add  that  myself  and  counselors  and  secretary 
work  unitedly  in  the  interest  of  the  Young  Men's  and  Young  Ladies' 
Mutual  Improvement  Associations,  since  we  are  holding  all  our  confer- 
ences together.  The  young  men  furnish  vehicles  and  accompany  the 
ladies  to  the  conferences  and  ward  meetings. 

Trusting  I  have  not  imposed  on  your  time,  and  with  kind  regards, 

I  remain  your  co-laborer, 

David  H.  Morris. 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH. 


BY  THOMAS  HULL,  GENERAL  SECRETARY  OP  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A. 


Local — November  14 — Governor  Wells  called  attention  to  the  ninth 
session  of  the  National  Irrigation  Congress,  to  convene  in  Chicago  on  the 
21st  inst.,  and  appointed  as  delegates  from  this  State  the  following:  R. 
C.  Gemmell,  George  Q.  Cannon  and  A.  F.  Doremus,  Salt  Lake;  Charles 
W.  Aldrach,  Clear  Lake;  L.  B.  Adams  and  F.  J.  Kiesel,  Ogden;  Joshua 

Terry,  Draper 15 — Clyde  Sharp,  son  of  John  A.  Sharp,  a  lad 

eleven  years  old,  was  killed  by  a  freight  train Emeline  B.  Wells 

was  chosen  one  of  an  investigation  committee  to  look  into  the  conditions 
of  social  and  domestic  life  in  the  Philippines,  by  the  National  Council  of 

Women,  at  Minneapolis The  Utah  Sugar  Company  decided  to 

raise  the  price  of  beets  to  $4.75  per  ton,  and  to  take  steps  looking  to  the 

erection  of  a  factory  in  Sanpete 16 — During  the  fiscal  year 

ending  June  30,  Utah  paid  $718,365  in  internal  revenue Gov- 
ernor-elect Yates,  of  Illinois,  visits  Salt  Lake  City Isaac  Sut- 
ton, a  Provo  pioneer,  born  England,  February  17,  1822,  died 

17 — Edward  Partridge,  president  Utah  stake,  born  Independence,  Mo., 
June  25,  1833,  a  son  of  Bishop  Edward  Partridge,  a  pioneer  of  1848,  a 
trustworthy  Latter-day  Saint,  and  an  excellent  citizen,  died  in  his  home 

in  Provo 19 — Messrs.  Judd  and  Wright  of  the  State  Board  of 

Agriculture  and  Professor  Close  of  the  State  Agricultural  College  have 
held  a  number  of  meetings  in  Southern  Utah  in  the  interest  of  agricul- 
ture and  the  college President  A.  W.  Ivins  of  the  Mexican  mis- 
sion reports  that  the  rumors  of  Indians  killing  the  "Mormons"  are  not  true. 

20 — Messrs.  David  Eccles  and  Charles  Nibley  have  considered  a 

site  just  south  of  Logan  on  the  Wellsville  road  for  the  new  sugar  fac- 
tory  21 — The  Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  Railroad  Co.,  capital 

$25,000,000,  withW.  A.  Clark,  Montana,  president,  was  organized;  Utah 
directors  are  Thomas  Kearns,  Reed  Smoot  and  W.  S.  McCornick 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH.  237 

There  have  been  heavy  rain  and  snow  storms  for  a  week  over  the  State. 

Joshua  Williams,  of  Morgan,  formerly  a  pioneer  fireman  of 

Ogden,  died 22 — The  Articles  of  incorporation  of  the  Salt  Lake 

and  Los  Angeles  railroad  were  signed 24 — Roxana  Montrose, 

a  pioneer  of  1847,  died  in  Logan 26 — The  State  Canvass- 
ing Board  began  the  canvass  of  the  election  returns Owing  to 

-the  prevalence  of  small  pox,  the  Board  of  Education  provide  for  the 
medical  inspection  of  students Henry  W.  Bigler,  who  was  pres- 
ent when  gold  was  discovered  in  California,  died  in  St.  George,  Utah, 
Saturday,  November  24,  of  pneumonia.    He  was  born  in  Harrison  Co., 

West  Virginia,  August  29,  1815 27— City  Recorder  R.C.  Naylor, 

Salt  Lake,  resigns  to  fill  a  mission  in  Germany The  official  can- 
vass of  the  State  vote  shows:  McKinley,  47,089;  Bryan,  44,947;  plural- 
ity, 2,140;  total  vote,  including  Social,  Labor,  and  Prohibition,  93,064. 

President  F.  A.  Hammond,  of  San  Juan  Stake,  was  killed  in  a 

runaway,  in  Bloomfield,  New  Mexico.  He  was  born  in  Long  Island,  N. 
Y.,  December  31,  1827,  and  was  prominently  connected  with  the  build- 
ing of  the  State  and  Church,  since  1848 29 — Simpson  M.  Molen, 

a  prominent  builder  of  Cache  County,  died  in  Hyrum.    He  came  to  Utah 

in  1847  from  Illinois,  and  was  in  his  sixty-eighth  year The 

Burlington   railway  surveyors  have  reached   Bountiful The 

Short  Line  and  Union  Pacific  offices  in  Salt  Lake  were  practically  con- 
solidated. 

December  2 — The  funeral  services  of  the  late  President  F.  A.  Ham- 
mond were  held  in  the  Ogden  tabernacle,  and  the  remains  were  taken  to 

Huntsville  for  burial Sarah  A.  Snow,  born  in  Ohio,  November 

29,  1826,  wife  of  President  Lorenzo  Snow,  died  in  Brigham  City 

4 — J.  0.  Nystrom  is  appointed  City  recorder  in  place  of  R.  C.  Naylor  of 

Salt  Lake  City,  resigned The  funeral  services  of  Sarah  Ann  Snow 

were  held  in  Brigham  City,  attended  by  President  Snow  and  family. 

Apostle  Clawson  and  Bishop  Preston  spoke 5 — The  Utah  land 

office  received  instructions  to  withdraw  from  settlement,  entry  or  sale, 
about  one  million  acres  of  land  for  a  forest  reserve  in  the  interest  of  the 
water  supply  of  Salt  Lake  City.  The  land  is  situated  in  the  Wasatch 
mountains  in  D^vis,  Salt  Lake,  Morgan,  Summit,  Wasatch,  Utah,  Juab,  and 

Sanpete  counties 6 — Janet  McNeil,  aged  80  years,  who  came 

to  Cache  County  in  1860,  died  in  Logan 8— Thomas  Taylor, 

formerly  a  bishop  in  Salt  Lake  City,  born  in  England  in  1826,  died  sud- 
denly in  Los  Angeles 9— The  Sanpete  Stake  of  Zion  was  divided 

into  two  stakes,  the  North  and  the  South;  Canute  Peterson  remains 
President  of  the  South,  and  C.  N.  Lund  was  made  president  of  the  North. 


238  IMPROVEMENl  ERA. 

10 — Mary  Ann  Bosley  Malin,  a  pioneer  of  1849,  died  in  Salt 

Lake  City 11 — The  Supreme  Court  decides  that  the  Salt  Lake 

City  water  bonds  are  valid The  Salt  Lake  City  Council  decided 

to  vaccinate  all  applicants  free;  the  Board  of  Education  has  decided  that 
after  January  1,  no  unvaccinated  child  will  be  permitted  to  attend  schooL 

Laban  Morrill,  born  Vermont,  December  8,  1814,  died  on  his 

eigty-sixth  birthday,  in  Junction.  He  joined  The  Church  in  1833,  and 
came  to  Utah  in  1852 12 — The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Gospel  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  was  celebrated  in 
Hawaii.  President  George  Q.  Cannon  and  Elder  W.  W.  CluflP,  who  left 
Utah,  November  29,  were  present  and  took  part 13 — Tne  popu- 
lation of  Ogden  is  16,313;  Provo,  6,852;  Logan,  5,451;  Park  City  is  the 

fourth  in  the  State  with  3,759  inhabitants Andrew  Cahoon, 

born  Ohio,  August  4,  1824,  a  missionary  of  1846  to  England,  and  a  pio- 
neer of  1848,died  in  Murray 14 — A  farewell  reception  was  tendered 

Rev.  T.  C.  Iliff  prior  to  his  removal  east  to  reside 15 — Protests 

were  filed  with  the  House  committee  on  public  buildings  against  the 

Walker  site  for  Salt  Lake's  federal  building P.  T.  Nystrom, 

born  in  Sweden,  1844,  who  came  to  Utah  in  the  early  60's  died  in  Salt 
Lake  City. 

Domestic — November  16 — Three  hundred  citizens  of  Lincoln  County, 
Colorado,  burned  a  negro  boy,  John  Porter,  at  the  stake  for  having  mur- 
dered a  little  girl Hawaii  elects  an  independent  Royalist  dele- 
gate to   Congress,  Robert   W.  Wilcox 19 — At  a  missionary 

meeting  in  New  York,  the  Methodist  bishops  make  a  fierce  onslaught  on 
the  Catholic  church,  one  reverend  declaring,  in  speaking  of  the  pope, 
that  the  Methodists  were  more  determined  than  ever  "to  wipe  out  a 
system  which  has  created  out  of  a  former  man  of  empire  a  cringing 
beggar  with  monkey  and  grind-organ." The  Fairmont  Park  As- 
sociation, Boston,  has  purchased  C.  E.  Dallin's  Paris  statue 

20 — Northern  Mississippi  and  southern  Tennessee  are  swept  by  a  tor- 
nado which  causes  great  loss  of  life  and  property Ex-rebels 

under   General   Macabolos   will   support  the  U.  S.  troops  in  capturing 

Aguinaldo 21 — Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  was  visited  by  a 

terrific  and  damaging  wind  storm The  National   Irrigation 

Congress  convened  in  Chicago 22 — Governor  Roosevelt  in  a 

letter  to  the  Irrigation  Congress  advocates  government  construction  of 

storage  reservoirs  in  the  arid  West 24 — The  population  of 

Nevada  is  given  as  42,335  as  against  45,761  in  1890 The 

coasting  steamer  St.  Olaf  was  wrecked  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  loss 
26  lives 26 — Severe  storms  sweep  over  Ohio  and  a  part  of 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH.  239 

Pennsylvania 27— Senator  Cushman  Kellogg  Davis,  Senate  Chair- 
man of  Committee  on  foreign  relations,  died  at  his  home  in  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
He  was  born  in  New  York,  June  16,1838 The  Cabinet  ap- 
proved Secretary  Hay's  policy  in  Chinese  affairs  giving  Minister  Conger 

full  power 28— The  U.  S.  warship  Yosemite  was  lost  off  Guam 

and  five  of  her  crew  drowned 29 — By  the  collapse  of  the  roof 

of  the  Pacific  Glass  Works,  San  Francisco,  eighteen  people  met  a  horrible 
death  and  nearly  one  hundred  were  injured. 

December  1 — The  remains  of  Col.  Liscum,  arrived  in  San  Francisco 

on  the  steamer  Thomas The  treaty  granting  a  right  to  the 

United  States  to  build  the  great  canal  through  Nicaragua  was  signed 

3 — The  short  session  of  the  56th  Congress  was  convened  at 

noon President  McKinley's  message  to  Congress  was  read.    It  treats 

largely  upon  the  Chinese  and  Philippine  problems,  and  recommends  an 
army  of   60,000,  with  power  to  increase  to  100,000  when  necessary 

The  Senate  Republicans  agree  to  push  the  ship  subsidy  bill 

3 — A  bill  is  reported  in  House  by  the  Military  Affairs  Com- 
mittee providing  for  96,000  regulars,  with  a  mininum  strength  of  58,- 

000  in  the  army 5 — At  a  meeting  of  the  Inter-Denominational 

Council  of  Women  held  in  New  York,  resolutions  were  passed  urging 
Congress  to  pass  a  constitutional  amendment  prohibiting  polygamy  and 
polygamous  -cohabitation,  and  disfranchising  all  who  persist  in  such 

practices 6 — The  army  reorganization  bill  passed  the  House 

with  an  amendment  prohibiting  sale  of  liquor  at  all  posts 

7 — The  Grout  Oleomargerine  bill  passed  the  House,  a  victory  for  butter 

makers The  Naval  Bureau  opened  bids  for  warships  to  cost 

fifty  million  dollars 8 — Telegraphers  of  the  Santa  Fe  railway 

system   strike,   and  thus  tie  up  the   system 9 — Postmaster 

General  Charles  Emory  Smith  points  out  the  advantages  of  the  rural 
free  delivery  system  of  which  4300  routes  will  soon  be  in  operation 
A  mass  meeting  in  Washington  was  held  in  the  First  Con- 
gregational church  at  which  resolutions  were  passed  urging  Congress  to 

submit  a  Constitutional  amendment  prohibiting  polygamy 12 

—The  100th  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  Washington  as  the  seat  of 

government  was  celebrated  with  suitable  and  impressive  ceremonies 

13— The  Order  of  Chosen  Friends,  a  large  fraternal  insurance  association, 
is  declared  insolvent  the  immediate  trouble  arising  from  the  Galveston 

disaster 14 — San  Francisco  was  visited  by  a  severe  storm 

General  McArthur  has  been  ordered  to  arrange  for  the  return  of  the 
Philippine  volunteers 15— The  House  passed  the  war  revenue 


•240  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

reduction  bill 16 — An  Indiana  mob  of  1500  lynch  two  negroes 

who  had  brutally  murdered  a  barber  at  Rockport. 

Foreign — November  15 — The  illness  of  Czar  Nicholas  II  is  very  ser- 
ious  King  Oscar  of  Sweden  is  in  a  very  low  state  of  health 

16 — A  crazy  woman  threw  a  hatchet  at  Emperor  WilUiam 

while  he  was  driving  through  the  streets  of  Breslau.  The  hatchet  missed 

"the  emperor  but  struck  his  carriage 22 — President  Kruger 

lands  at  Marseilles,  France,  and  is  given  a  grand  demonstration 

Arthur  Sullivan,  the  musical  composer,  died  suddenly  in  London.    He 

"holds  a  place  in  the  Victorian  era  with  Darwin  and  Tennyson." 

23 — Kruger  has  made  a  triumphant  tour  through  France  to  Dijon,  and 

is  the  temporary  idol  of  the  French 24 — The  city  of  Paris 

welcomed  Paul  Kruger  in  a  whole-hearted  and  sympathetic  manner 

For  the  first  time  in  history,  the  German  Reichstag  freely   criticises 

Emperor  William's  China  policy 27 — The  funeral  of  Sir  Arthur 

Sullivan  occurs  in  London 29 — Boers  capture  the  British  gar- 
rison at  Dewetsdorp,  taking  400  men 30 — Advices  from  South 

Hungary  state  that  two  "Mormon"  Elders  were  severely  handled  by  a 
mob,  and  the  minister  of  the  interior  has  prohibited  further  attempts  at 
proselyting  by  the  "Mormons." 

December  1 — President  Kruger  bade  farewell  to  France,  and  went  to 
Belgium Seventy  persons  die  and  8,000  others  suffer  from  ef- 
fects of  beer  poisoning  in  North  England 2 — Emperor  William 

•declines  to  see  President  Kruger,  and  the  latter  will  go  direct  to  Holland 

from  Cologne 6 — Kruger  arrived  at  The  Hague 

The  British  Parliament  opened Boers  attack  a  British  convoy 

;and  kill  15  men  wounding  others 11 — The  Netherland  gov- 
ernment refuses  to  begin  a  movement  for  arbitration  in  the  South  Afri- 
can trouble Japan  has  become  alarmed  over  some  extraordi- 
nary municipal  scandals  in  Tokio 14 — The  British  were  re- 
pulsed with  heavy  loss  in  a  severe  engagement  twenty-two  miles  from 

Pretoria 15 — The  British  Parliament  has  been  dismissed  until 

February  15 16 — The  German  training-ship,  Gneisenau,  f  ound- 

■ered  near  Gibraltar,  with  over  a  hundred  lives  lost. 


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WITH  ALL  THE  GLUTEN  IN  AND 
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Doctors  find 

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menials  sent  by  mail  to  any  address  on  receipt  of  priea, 
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(WHBN., WRITING  TO   ADVERTISERS  PLEASE   MENTION  THEER A.) 


HEBER  J.  GRANT  &  CO.,  Agts. 

20  to  26  South  f/lEiin  Street,  Salt  Liake  City. 


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IE  NOT,  WHY  NOT? 

Take  Your  Choice  of  Four  Strong  Companies. 


The   Hartford 
Fire  Insurance 

COMPANY, 

!E3Ia.rtforcL,    Corxrx. 


Assets,  Jan.  i,  1900,  -  $ii,oo2;588  02 
Net    Surplus,   over  all 

liabilities       -        -      3,810,204.50 


North  British 
and  Mercantile 

INS\JRKNCE     00. 

(United  States  Branch.) 


Assets,  Jan.  i,  1900,  -    $4,037,624.99 
Net    Surplus,    over    all 

liabilities,      -        -     i  791,838.97 

The  combined  fire  and  life  assets 
of  the  North  British  and  Mercantile 
are  over  $65,000,000. 


"INSURE  TODAY, 

TOMORROW  MAY  BE  TOO  LATE." 


German 

American 

INSV/RKNCB 

CO.. 

NKW    YORK. 

125,840.42 

Assets,  Jan.  i,  1900,    -  $8, 

Net    Surplus,   over   all 

liabilities. 

3.678,999 

Pennsylvania 
Fire  Insurance 

007«5F=»75NY, 


Assets,  Jan.  I,  1900,   -  $5,171,306.21 
Net    Surplus,    over    all 

liabilities        -      -      2,181,945.26 


A  Wise  Man  lets  the  Insurance  Companies  Carry  his  Fire  Risk 
and  then  Stops  Worrying. 

WRITE 

HEBER  J.  GRANT  &  CO.,  Agts. 

20  to  26  South  IVIain  Street,  Salt  liake  City. 

WHEN  WRITING  TO  ADVKRTISaRS  PLEASE  MENTION  THE  ERA..) 


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THE  POPULAR  THROUGH 
CAR  LINE  FROM  THE  i««k 


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R  F.  NEVINS.  General  Agent  S.  K.  HOOPER,  G.  P.  A  T.  A, 

SALT  LAKE  CITY.  UTAH  DENVEICCOiA 


Oregon  hm  Line  Railroad 


ti 


Operating  U21  Miles  of  Bailroad  through 
the  Thriving  States  of 

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W.  H.  BANCROFT,  Vice-Prest  and  General  Manager. 

(WHBN  WB.ITINO  TO  ADVBRTISBRS  PI^ASB  MENTlOK  THB  BRA.) 


BEST  LOCAL  TRAIN  SERVICE 
OGDEN  AND  SALT  LAKE  CITY,  PROVO,  ETC. 


3      I  RIO  GRANDE  1      3 


CHOICE 


OF 


ROUTES  EAST. 


3 


WESTERN 

RAILWAY. 


Pullman  Sleepers  to  Chicagfo  with- 

oat  change.     Perfect  Dining 

Car  Service. 


DAILY  TRAINS 

TO 

THE   EAST. 


QEO.   W.   HKINTZ, 
General   Passenger  Agent, 

Salt  Lalce  City. 


TAST  ESFRBSS  SERVICE. 


THE 

AMERICAN 
LINE 


Ileal  Yoi'k-Soathamptoii-(p:Sf) 

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THE 

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Cheapest,  Beat      HOLLAND, 
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FRANOm  4  ITALY, 


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(WHHIC  WRiriNQ  TO  ADVERTISERS  PLEASE  MENTION  THE  ERA.) 


®(SXS)®®®(sXSXs)®(«)®®®®®®®4Xg^ 

FALL    1900. 

LADIES 


® 

^   y    Ji 'if\TT^ C^   Suits,  Dresses,  Jackets,  Capes,  Shawls,  Skirts, 

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Clothing,    Hats,    Shoes,    Shirts,    Collars,    Neck- 
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Jackets,     Reefers,     Dresses.       What      else     she 
needs. 


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GlHltS 

"i^Al/^     Clothing,   Caps,  Shoes, 

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We  uuill  tfeat  you  honorably      W      y^    1  I 
and  give  you  full  value  iop  / 

youp   money -  /     I 

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ams 


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